


Love at first lizard

by Pearlislove, YOLO1882



Series: The Daft and The Beautiful [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Veterinarians, Doctor Who References, Dorks in Love, F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff and Humor, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Lizard references, Silurian references, meddling lizards, wtf have we done
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-10-11 15:04:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 32,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10467786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pearlislove/pseuds/Pearlislove, https://archiveofourown.org/users/YOLO1882/pseuds/YOLO1882
Summary: Jenny Flint, new pet owner since but a week, never imagined that bringing her pet lizard Greeny to see the vet could change her life this much.Vastra McIntosh, veterinarian and reptilian expert, never imagained agreeing to look over a sick pet lizard would change her life this much.A fateful chance encounter between these two completely different souls opens up the path towards new opportunities and happiness that neither had ever dreamed possible, but will they be brave enough to take that leap of faith?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A Vastra/Jenny veterinarian AU that is also a collaboration between me and the always lovely and gay YOLO1882
> 
> Chapter 1 out of 2
> 
> Beware the gay

“Everything is goin’ to be alright, Greeny.” Jenny whispered reassuringly, hugging the travel cage for her chameleon lizard closer. She’d owned ‘Greeny’, as she called him, for little under a week, and already she had to take him to the vet.

 

Glancing up at the building in front of her, she swallowed audibly. It hadn’t been easy to find a vet that even catered to lizards to begin with, and now that she had found one that claimed to have an in-house reptile expert, she felt nervous. It was not that she was nervous about what they’d think of her, or Greeny, but rather the fact that she had never been to a vet’s office before. She had always hated hospitals, and the vet’s office gave her the same creepy feeling in her gut.

 

Nonetheless, Greeny needed looking after, and there was nowhere else she could go. Taking one last, deep breath, she grabbed the door and opened it, stepping inside.

 

The waiting room was small, but cozy, with pictures of delighted animals - mostly dogs and cats, but also a few horses and a rabbit - lining the walls, and a childish jungle themed carpet covered the floor.  In the corner, a reception desk had been placed, and serving it was a petite dark haired girl that hardly seemed tall enough to see anything over the counter. 

 

Swallowing loudly once more, Jenny gathered her courage and approached her. “Excuse me, ma’am?”

 

The girl, who had been absentmindedly drawing doodles on a notebook, instantly looked up upon hearing Jenny’s voice.

 

She looked at Jenny with big, warm brown eyes and a welcoming smile exclaiming, “Oh, hello there! Aren’t you a delightful surprise, business has been slow today, as you can see.” The girl made a sweeping gesture around the empty waiting room with pen still in hand. “My name’s Clara, how may I help you today?”  

 

Feeling a little more confident thanks to the girl’s cheery attitude, Jenny smiled back. “Hello there. I’m Jenny Flint, and I need someone to look at my lizard? He seems to be a bit ill.” She lifted up the travel cage still in her hands for the girl to see, as if to emphasise her statement. “I heard you help lizards.”

  
  


Clara’s smile shrunk a bit as she switched her gaze from Jenny to the lizard huddled inside the carrier cage. The poor thing clearly didn’t seem to be doing so well, since he barely moved within the cage. Clara’s no lizard expert, but she hoped whatever that is wrong with the lizard will get fixed soon.

 

Clara then glanced back toward Jenny with a slightly sympathetic expression, for she saw that Jenny was genuinely worried about the health of her pet lizard. “You heard correctly indeed! Our certified in-house reptile expert is certainly the best in all of London….but I must warn you that she can be a bit of a grumpy old tightwad sometimes,” added Clara with a mischievous lilt in her tone, an attempt to make Jenny feel more at ease. “If there’s anyone who can figure out the problem with your lizard, it’s her!”

 

Jenny bit her lip, barely holding back a smile. While the way Clara presented the woman was a bit odd, she sounded good enough. Before she could answer her, however, she was interrupted by another person entering the room.

 

“Clara! Have you got the file on that dog who... _ oh _ .” As the man, a tall brown haired guy in a doctor’s coat, spotted Jenny, he stopped immediately. He was standing just short of the threshold to the waiting room, and casually leaned against the wall as he gave Jenny a once over. “Clara, who’s the new customer?” He smiled, a mischievous and quite silly smile, that almost made Jenny wonder if vets were always this casual. 

 

“John, this is Jenny,” explained Clara, returning an equally exuberant smile to the man in the doorway. “She came here today because her lizard is sick.”

 

Clara giggled as soon as she said that, which Jenny found quite odd, and the man’s grin seemed to grow even larger, as if this was some kind of inside joke just between the two of them.

 

“Right! A lizard!” John said enthusiastically, giving Clara another suggestive look. “Two beautiful female specimens for our dear loony lizard lady to take a look at. Oh, Vastra is surely going to be satisfied by this!” His grin was almost covering his entire face now, and Clara looked as though she was struggling very hard not to laugh her head off. What was supposedly so funny about the situation, Jenny didn’t know, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to find out, either. 

 

Jenny had no idea what to expect next, but her attention soon got caught on the stunningly gorgeous woman that appeared beside John, most likely having been drawn in by all the commotion he and Clara was causing. The mystery woman was tall, about the same height as John. She had brilliantly sharp blue eyes framed behind thin, rounded black glasses, well defined cheekbones and jawline, and there was a strip of green running along the middle of her dark brown hair, which she kept tied in a neat bun. Jenny also noticed the woman’s seemingly impeccable sense of style, consisting of a silken form-fitting purple blouse tucked into her black slacks, and flats on her feet with a slightly raised heel. The woman definitely exuded a distinctive aura of flawless elegance and meticulous professionalism, that was in stark contrast with the easygoing atmosphere projected by the other two employees. Jenny couldn’t help holding in her breath at the awe inspiring sight of the beautiful woman, as something told her that this visit to the vet was going to get a lot more challenging.

 

The Doctor gave Vastra a far too gleeful look. “Ah, Vastra, glad to see you sticking your head round these parts. We got two fresh female samples for you to look at!” He tried to keep a serious tone, but utterly failed, and Jenny once more found herself confused as to why the doctor was referring to her and her lizard in such a way.

 

The woman, now identified to be Vastra, appeared to be utterly unimpressed as she shook her head and grumbled, “God grant me the strength to deal with these two foolish comedians without losing my sanity!” Vastra then stepped in closer and  peered at Jenny’s lizard in the carrier cage for a moment, before looking back over her shoulder at John to say,”  Nice try, Doctor Smith, but this one is a  _ male. _ Honestly, for you to be a veterinarian, your horrendous grasp of biology troubles me!”

 

“Oi! I  _ am  _ a female!” Jenny objected sharply. Honestly, for a woman like that, gorgeous as she might be, to come here and call her a  _ male _ . Like a  _ male animal _ ! 

 

“And I  _ do _ know biology!” John added, in response to the insult against his credentials as a veterinarian. “It’s just lizards that are, well...green and  _ not _ green. Or the other way around!”

 

Completely ignoring John’s complaint, Vastra simply turned her head to face the visibly indignant Jenny and spoke smoothly, “Calm down, miss, I was actually referring to your pet, not you.” She allowed herself to do a quick visual scan of Jenny’s physical features and attire, noting that she was in fact rather attractive. Vastra immediately dismissed such inappropriate thoughts and continued in the same strictly formal tone, “Now, if you wouldn't mind following me into my office room, I will be able to start properly examining your lizard there. It’s absolutely beyond my knowledge how Doctor Smith over here manage to get any work done, when he’s too busy making juvenile jokes with Miss Oswald.”

 

Sharply, Vastra turned around on her heels, and Jenny bit her lip hard to keep herself from letting out a noise as she caught sight of the woman’s well trimmed arse. It was the perfect, circular shape(Bruh) and Jenny could feel her cheeks heating up as she bit her lip even harder. Now was definitely not the time to lose herself to the appeal of the Lizard veterinarian, but by god, she was  _ hot _ .

 

Holding the cage up in front of her like a shield, Jenny reluctantly turned to follow Vastra into her office.“Coming, Ma’am." She said quietly, holding the cage a little tighter as she looked back at John and Clara by the desk, seeing them still giggling among themselves. “His name’s Greeny, by the way.” She didn’t know why she said the last part. It was stupid, extremely so, and she knew it. She knew no one who named their lizard Greeny, and yet, she had, thinking herself funny. 

She just never thought she’d have to answer for it in front of an extremely hot lizard veterinarian. 

 

Vastra stopped just before the door to her office, already having her hand on the doorknob, and Jenny swore she nearly dropped the cage when the oh so magnificent woman struck her with an expression of dubious disdain, one perfectly curved eyebrow raised up toward her forehead

 

“You can’t be serious, Miss Flint.  _ ‘Greeny _ ?’” Vastra scoffed in a haughty manner that was  beginning to rub Jenny’s skin the wrong way. Throughout her years working in this clinic, Vastra had encountered pets with almost every single name you could imagine under the sun, but ‘Greeny’....now  _ that _ was a new one; And by far, the _ least _ original she’ve ever heard. “ You ought to be more creative than that, even my three year old nephew could come up with something better!"

 

Then without further ado, Vastra effortlessly twisted the doorknob to open the door leading into her office before walking in herself, and leaving Jenny standing outside with her mouth hanging agape in the wake of her surprisingly rude comment.

 

"Well I'm sorry, but I rather like calling my lizard Greeny. He  _ is _ green." Jenny couldn’t help but get defensive, because she couldn’t believe how unimaginably rude Vastra had just been. As if she had the right to judge what Jenny named  _ her  _ lizard!

 

Vastra wordlessly walked over to her desk at the other end of the room, where she picked up a disheveled stack of papers and proceeded to shuffle them.

 

"Well anybody with properly functioning eyes can clearly see that to be true, so my point still stands that naming him 'Greeny' is terribly redundant,” retorted Vastra while loftily waving away Jenny’s statement as if it was a pesky and insignificant fly.

 

Jenny huffed in annoyance. She’d told herself she wouldn’t care what they had to say about her and Greeny, but it was proving increasingly difficult, seeing as the veterinarian seemed to be hellbent on making everything harder and more embarrassing for Jenny. "Then what would  _ you  _ call a lizard? I, for one, cannot think of a better name." 

 

Vastra continued to occupy herself with various little miscellaneous tasks around her desk in order to avoid looking directly at her client, who she had mentally admitted to being the very most loveliest creature she’d ever laid eyes on, albeit not without tremendous difficulty. God knows it had been an excessively arduous task for her to maintain a steady, neutral composure out in the waiting room with Clara and John. No doubt those two would be cackling their heads off like hyenas if they could see her now, flustered out of her wits because of this stupidly beautiful girl with dark brown hair and charming brown eyes. She was exactly Vastra’s type, much to her utter dismay.

 

Using her naturally embedded cynicism as a pretense to mask her rising attraction, Vastra quipped in response,"How would I know, I'm only the vet around here. I don't get paid enough to consult with painfully bland pet owners who can't look beyond their animal’s physicality to give them an appropriate name.” Very subtly, Vastra’s head and shoulders seemed to become tense as she anticipated Jenny’s inevitable rebuttal, and the intoxicating sound of her Cockney accent that would come along with it.

 

At this, Jenny gave her an ice cold glare. Even for such a gorgeous woman as her, there wasn't any good explanation for being quite so rude. The woman wouldn’t even look at her! It was almost as though she was not worthy of being acknowledged, for Vastra had better things to do. 

 

Even with Clara’s warning poking at her from the back of her mind, it was frustrating. "Well then, maybe you could do your  _ job _ , instead of complaining about things you clearly claimed are none or your concerns?" 

 

Vastra could practically  _ feel  _ Jenny’s probing glare on the back of her head, causing an involuntary shiver to run down her spine. Nonetheless, she still managed to produce an articulate reply,  "I simply stated my sympathies for your poor lizard who has to live the rest of his life with such a mediocre name as 'Greeny'.” Then closing her eyes, Vastra inhaled a deep breath, and eventually was able to muster just enough courage to turn around toward her client. Obviously trying to be a bit more cordial, Vastra suggested, “Perhaps it would be best if you go ahead and tell me the reason you're here, since we've just wasted half an hour debating  your lizard's name."

 

Seeing her eyes, Jenny almost couldn’t breath. Gone was the frustration and anger, it all washed off of her like an unpleasant shower coming to an end. The brilliant blue eyes looked at her, waiting for her answer, and unconsciously, Jenny smiled. She didn’t even care that she had to spend half-an hour justifying her pet’s name to a stranger when she should have been at work. It didn’t matter anymore all of sudden. 

 

“Yes, of course, uh, well…” Taking a deep breath, she tried to gather herself and figure out what to say next. “I recently bought this lizard, you see. I’ve only had him for little under a week, but he already seems to have gotten sick. He barely moves and won't eat.”

 

It required every last ounce of willpower for Vastra not let herself become undone right there at the sight of Jenny’s radiant smile. She mentally cursed herself for getting too carried away with her unnecessarily snarky attitude, when she really should be helping Jenny tend to her lizard. Her demeanor softened considerably upon witnessing the apparent nervousness written all across Jenny’s face, and she smiled pityingly while gesturing toward the examination table in the middle of the room. “That does sound troublesome indeed, miss. I truly want to do everything I can to alleviate your lizard, but first I’ll need to ask that you take him out of the carrier cage for me.”

 

Jenny nodded, swallowing audibly as she walked over to the table, putting down the carrier case and opening it. Greeny was hiding in the furthest corner of the space, and she glanced at Vastra uncertainly. “Do you want to take him out?” She asked politely, standing by to lift him out herself if Vastra thought it was better.

A little dumbstruck, Vastra nodded positively with a reassuring smile, “It would be my utmost pleasure, Miss Flint.”

 

Jenny’s ears instantly perked up upon detecting a mild, but still relatively evident Scottish accent among Vastra’s words, thus making her all the more attractive if that was even possible. Vastra went over to a cabinet on the wall where she retrieved a fresh pair of gloves, pulling them on with a satisfyingly audible  _ snap _ .That simple action drew Jenny’s attention to Vastra’s exquisitely long fingers, which then set loose a chaotic whirlwind of very impure thoughts running through Jenny’s starstrucked mind;They might or might not, have been something along the lines of getting her body pinned against the office wall by the bewitchingly sexy veterinarian, and letting those surely capable fingers have their way with her. All that Jenny could do was keep biting her lip even harder, almost to the point of drawing blood, while simultaneously trying her best to appear normal in front of this goddamn goddess of a veterinarian. Jenny soon stepped aside to give Vastra access to the carrier and watched with baited breath as her hands reached into the carrier.

 

“That’s it, Greeny, who’s a good green lizard boy. Yes, come here to the nice veterinarian, I’m not going to hurt you,“cooed Vastra in such a beautifully soothing voice that it made Jenny want to laugh and her heart melt at the same time. Thanks to a bit of highly effective coaxing from Vastra, she finally succeeded in bringing Greeny out of his cozy carrier, holding him in a carefully firm, yet gentle grip. 

 

Alas, everything was put into jeopardy, when the calmly quiet atmosphere of the room was suddenly interrupted by someone else bursting in through the door like a mighty blast of gale force wind.

 

“Madame! Strax is here to assist you, for the glory of this clinic!” The man standing and shouting in the doorway was short, buff and bald. He had slightly brown colored skin, and had Jenny not known any better, she would have compared him to an oversized, sentient cartoon potato. Only potatoes didn’t walk around screaming, nor did they dress like nurses. Still, in her mind Jenny decided to refer to...him?  _ Him _ , as a potato. 

 

The ruckus caused by Strax’s impromptu entrance did not sit well with Greeny, who began flailing his entire body within Vastra’s hands. That, in turn, caught Vastra off guard and she nearly dropped Greeny out of shock, but luckily she was able to catch herself at the last minute, and  narrowly avoided  getting her eye poked by one of the lizard’s sharp horns. 

 

“Careful, Madame. The poky lizard would not do well on the floor.” Strax provided unhelpfully, the little potato not moving an inch and grinning like a madman at Vastra.

 

“STRAX! How many times must I tell you, not to be so BLOODY loud when you come into the office!” Barked Vastra in her exasperation at the rambunctious potato man. Then suddenly realizing the kind of language she had just used aloud, Vastra gave Jenny an apologetic grimace and said, “I am deeply sorry about this, Miss Flint, but my assistant can be quite….enthusiastic in his job sometimes.”

 

Inwardly, however, Vastra made herself a mental note to remember to kill the person responsible for feeding Strax the sherbert fancies that are making him obviously hyper.

 

Jenny merely shook her head. Nearly causing Vastra to drop Greeny aside, she found the little potato man quite adorable. “I believe it is fine. It does not appear to have been Mister Po...Strax’s intention to be disruptive. Right?” She smiled at the potato man, who smiled right back, as enthusiastic as ever before. 

 

“Quite right, boy!” He confirmed, missing Jenny’s unamused expression as he turned  his attention back to Vastra. “The Doctor was making coffee and thought you might be in need of assistance, Madame.” 

 

Vastra was definitely looking forward to the Doctor’s funeral, in that case. As if this whole ordeal wasn’t already stressful enough, now that lanky buffoon had sent Strax in to cause even more trouble than necessary. This was just  _ perfect _ , thought Vastra. 

 

Jenny watched the two persons in front of her, swallowing hard as she felt the tension simmering between them. Vastra was obviously angry with Strax, but the latter was either too daft, or too oblivious of his surroundings to notice. Timidly, she spoke up. “Excuse me, I don’t mean to be a bother, but this appointment is coming out of my salary, so perhaps we can get on with it now?” She smiled half-heartedly, hoping it would be enough to get everything back on track.

 

Jenny’s voice cut right through Vastra’s flaring temper and brought her back to the situation at hand. Once again, she smiled sheepishly at Jenny saying, “Oh, yes, that we do indeed, for surely I would hate to put your paycheck at risk.” After taking a few seconds to compose herself, Vastra looked back toward Strax in silent resignation to address him with, “Alright, Strax, I’ll let you stay in here to assist me, but only if you promise to be _ quiet _ for God’s sake, and not touch anything until I tell you otherwise.” 

 

Hearing that he was allowed to stay, Strax punched one of his short, stubby arms in the air, trying to make some kind of victory gesture. “I will help you Madame! For the glory of this clinic!”

 

Jenny laughed a little, not able to hold it back. Strax really was adorable. “Thanks. Scotland Yard doesn’t pay nearly as much as you’d think.”

 

Vastra paused in the midst of her inspection of Greeny the lizard to look at Jenny, equally impressed and curious. “Really, you work at Scotland Yard? Well, that does sound to be rather exciting, is it not?”

 

Jenny shrugged. “Yes ma’am, though it's not very exciting.  It’s mostly a lot of paperwork. Gets a bit lonely, too. That's why I got a lizard - so I’d have some company that doesn't require being walked three times a day and are allowed in my flat.”

  
  


“I see….even if it’s not as glamorous is you say, I have immense respect for anyone willing to risk their life in the name of justice at Scotland Yard. Although, I am sorry to hear that you’re feeling lonely,” spoke Vastra sympathetically, making casual conversation with her client as she continued to study Greeny. “I was just under the impression that such a seemingly likable, and decent girl as you would have plenty of friends to keep you company.”

 

Jenny blushed a little at Vastra’s glowing compliments, looking down at the floor. “I didn’t have many people before I joined Scotland Yard, and my current working schedule doesn't exactly encourage lots of socialising and spending time with friends.” She bit her lip, trying not to let the other woman’s words get to her. It never bothered her that she had few people that she considered close to her, why would it now?

 

Vastra risked a brief discreet glance at Jenny and replied, “It would appear that you and I are the same in that regard, since I’m not exactly the type of person to put myself out there for all the world see. I’ll admit that I am much more adept at dealing with animals than I am with people. Apart from Doctor John, Clara, and even Strax, there’s actually nobody else that I can view as my friend.” Sensing Jenny’s increasing discomfort, Vastra then cleared her throat and decided to  immediately change the subject. “I must say, Miss Flint, this is a really handsome Jackson Horned Chameleon you have here. It’s a shame that he had gotten sick so soon....what are his symptoms again, if I may ask?”

 

“He is not handsome, but well equipped for battle! It is most glorious!” Strax declared, before Jenny had a chance to repeat her lizards symptoms.

 

His eyes shone like stars as he spoke and Jenny found herself a bit uncomfortable by the thought that maybe he was attracted to things and people that could defend themselves. She shuddered.

 

“He’s not eating, and barely moving, ma’am.” Jenny told Vastra, trying to push Strax's comment into the back of her mind where she’d never have to think of it again.

 

Vastra shot Strax a heated death glare as a warning before inquiring further, “Hmm, yes, he does appear to have lost some weight….what have you been feeding him?” Vastra then became aware of how Greeny was gradually curling himself against her arm, seemingly attracted to her natural body heat.

 

“I feed him insects. Mostly crickets, as instructions says.” Jenny said, looking straight at Vastra, a little questioning.

 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Asked a befuddled Vastra, afraid that she might have somehow offended her pretty client again. “I swear, I wasn’t trying to accuse you of any wrongdoing. Jackson Horned Chameleon diets are typically composed of insects and crickets, so at least you’re doing that right. Do you have some kind of enclosed habitat in your home to contain him in?”

 

Jenny nodded rapidly. She felt eager to please the gorgeous woman handling her lizard, wanted to show her that she was not some clueless person who just adopted an animal without a plan. “Yes, I have an enclosure at home, as one should have.”

 

Jenny’s confident statement was then rewarded with a dazzling smile of approval from Vastra that knocked all the air out of her lungs. Vastra’s tone was almost rather playful when she said,“Quite the responsible pet owner now, aren’t you? Very good, and can you please describe this enclosure to me?”

 

Jenny blushed at the praise, looking down at the floor, but glancing back at Vastra as she spoke,”It’s a mesh cage, as the guide said to avoid glass enclosures, and there’s a little tree for him to climb. That is about it.”

 

“Well I suppose that minimalism does have its appeal to some people, but I will advise you to add in a few more plants for his habitat,”Vastra suggested wisely. “What about the climate and average temperature of your home? Do you have any type of heat source that can be kept  near Greeny’s cage?”

 

Jenny stared at her as though she’d suddenly grown a second head, or possibly a third eye. “Heat source? Climate?” 

 

Jenny’s confused expression prompted Vastra to tilt her head, and lift one skeptical eyebrow as she spoke, “Miss Flint, you are aware of the fact that reptiles like Greeny are cold-blooded, and must gain heat from their surroundings in order to function, aren’t you? Or did they not teach you that back in grade school science class?”

 

At this, Jenny gave Vastra what she believed  was the most apologetic smile ever to have existed, eyes quickly diverting and looking back down on the ground. The peach carpet sure was interesting to look at, Jenny decided. “I’m afraid I was never the sharpest one, ma’am. Haven’t had much education altogether, and can't say I remember being taught anything about lizards.” She sighed, embarrassed. She had really hoped she would have done enough research to avoid exposing her rather lacking education in general.

 

The underlying sadness in Jenny’s words struck Vastra’s heart heavily, and she immediately regretted being so snide in her remark without actually meaning to. It physically pained her to see this beautiful, sweet young girl defeated  by her own insecurities, which was preventing her from recognizing her full potential and self worth. Vastra, too, dropped her gaze to the floor as she was suddenly desperate to find something that could cheer up Jenny. 

 

“There’s no reason why you should be embarrassed, Miss Flint,” Vastra began sincerely, eyes fixed onto Jenny’s depressed form. “Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, it’s a natural part of life. I know that you are trying your best to take care of Greeny, and I do not blame you for being uninformed regarding the biological anatomy of reptiles. You may not be well educated, but I can tell that you must possess a considerable amount of merit since you were able to get into Scotland Yard. So chin up a little, will you, for Greeny’s sake?” Vastra held up Greeny as if he was a sort of mascot in an attempt to uplift Jenny’s falling spirits, while acquiring a pleading puppy dog face herself to boot.

 

Jenny couldn’t help but smile a little. No one had ever tried so hard to encourage her and make her happy. If you want to be happy, you make yourself happy, her mom had used to say. But here this gorgeous veterinarian was, cheering her up like her life depended on it, and Greeny looking confused as he twisted around in her hands. “Alright, for you and Greeny.” She agreed finally, giving Vastra her largest grin. 

 

Vastra released a little sigh of relief, and returned a pleasant smile of her own to Jenny; She was most delighted to witness how Jenny had transformed from a hopelessly wilted plant, to a lively blooming flower being fed by the rejuvenating waters of a spring shower. Another, albeit quite unexpected, result was that  Vastra also found herself having a strange and powerful urge to always make Jenny happy like this in any way possible….depending on the probability  of whether or not she’ll ever see her again at the clinic, that is. A part of her was already wishing and praying for Jenny to come back someday.

 

Vastra was so enraptured by her client’s joyous beauty, that it took her several minutes to find her tongue again. “Excellent! It is a scientifically proven fact that pets thrive much better when their owners possess a positive attitude, as opposed to being down in the dumps,”proclaimed Vastra, who included a sly wink to show that she was only teasing. “Now, I assume you will be glad to know that Greeny’s condition isn’t as serious as you think, and he can easily be cured with the use of a proper heat lamp. I’m sure that you will be able to buy one at your local pet store, or online if you prefer. Either way, I highly recommend that you get one as soon as possible, because Jackson Horned Chameleons need to be kept at a temperature of between 20 and 32 degrees celsius.”

 

At this point, Vastra didn’t mind in the slightest that Greeny was practically holding her arm captive, because the poor thing had clearly been deprived of warmth for so long. 

 

Jenny nodded at her words, acting like a school kid confirming her teacher’s instructions for her homework assignment. “I’ll see about getting one uh...,”She glanced at the clock, trying to estimate how long she'd been there,”...on my way home. My shift’s over, by now, so I won't really have anything better to do. Besides, the sooner Greeny gets what he needs, the better.” Jenny turned to Vastra and smiled, stretching out her hands expectantly. 

  
  


“Smart thinking, Miss Flint, Greeny will certainly appreciate the sentiment. He should consider himself lucky having such a thoughtful and committed owner as you,” concluded Vastra while she prepared to give Greeny back to Jenny. 

 

What was supposed to be a standard transaction suddenly became much more complicated when their hands touched upon Greeny. Both Jenny and Vastra gasped softly as sparks seemed to fly from the very first second they made that physical contact, feeling the invisible electricity race up their arms before ultimately exploding against their hearts. Their bodies trembled due to the sheer force of the impact, which continued to echo in massive rippling waves throughout their entire frame. Meanwhile, their overlapping hands had become extremely  _ hot  _ as if they were laying on a furnace, though the two of them fought the urge to jerk away lest they drop Greeny. The heat quickly spread to their faces, and their cheeks lit up with a blazing red color. Hearts pounding, palms sweating, minds spinning, neither Jenny nor Vastra had ever experienced anything this intense before, and they both struggled  to fully comprehend what was happening to them. Eventually, they were able to remove their gaze from Greeny and locked eyes with each other instead. They immediately froze in place where they stood, as if some kind of mysterious unseen power had stripped them of all their ability to move. Everything else seemed to fade away until it was just the two of them left in this lofty, and surreal dimension that separated them from the rest of reality;The very air surrounding them had morphed and shifted itself, becoming significantly heavier with a daunting, unspoken question that loomed over their heads. Despite their current immobility, there was still a distinctly spiritual energy of restlessness that caused their souls to be irresistibly attracted to one another like opposite ends of a magnet. Vastra and Jenny both realized that something needed to be said if they were to break free of this awkward situation, but every word they meant to say instantly evaporated off of the tip of their tongues before they even had the chance, thus rendering their voices utterly useless. 

 

Whether they liked it or not, they are completely, effectively, undeniably  _ stuck. _

 

They kept standing there, stagnant and unable to move for several more moments, before the door suddenly opened. Stepping in through the opening, was none other than Dr.John Smith himself.

 

“Strax, I need you! That pitbull that likes you is here and…” As he saw what he walked in on, he stopped, confusion quickly replaced by a mad grin. “Oh my...I’m sorry,  _ Vastra _ , I thought you and Miss Flint would have been finished by now!” He let out a small laugh, and Vastra could see the joke in his eyes. “But I guess she _ required a lot of care _ !” He did a not-so subtle wink with his eye at this, and Vastra wanted to strangle him for his shameless behaviour.

 

The Doctor’s surprise intervention was enough to startle Vastra and Jenny into jumping apart from each other, with Jenny frantically clutching Greeny close to her chest. His gaze kept switching back and forth between the two women, as he was clearly relishing in the rare sight of a highly flustered Vastra. The other veterinarian glared daggers at him with laser point precision, being not thrilled at him barging into  _ her  _ office wearing that infuriatingly smug grin that she would  love to tear off his face. Vastra fastidiously wiped her hands on her coat and hardened her facial expression, all in a futile attempt to make herself appear more dignified, yet the tell-tale fiery blush on her cheeks still remained. The Doctor always had the worst sense of timing, and Vastra hates the fact that this one incident has now given him basically unlimited ammunition to bombard her with.

 

“ _ Ahem. _ ..uhh...Strax, it would seem that I will have to relieve you of your duties here at the present moment,” began Vastra calmly, as she was determined to pretend that nothing had ever happened. “Go ahead with Doctor Smith and report back to me when you are done.” She then turned her head to look directly at the Doctor and said to him, “And you, Doctor Smith, I simply cannot comprehend why you still insist on calling Miss Flint’s lizard a ‘she’ after we’ve been over it already. _ He  _ did require a lot of care, but fortunately we were able to reach a viable solution. Now, do be so kind and remove yourself from my office, your unsightly hideous face is apparently causing Greeny some considerable discomfort.” 

 

Vastra also made sure to punctuate her biting statement with an equally sardonic smile that told the Doctor ‘two can play at this game’.

 

“Ma’am!” Jenny couldn’t help the complaint that escaped her lips. Despite lacking in many other areas, Jenny had very good manners, and she knew what Vastra had said was not acceptable. Though the man had been immensely rude to his co-worker, and Greeny did look quite uncomfortable, it was simply not right to say such mean things to anyone.

 

John, however, didn’t seem as bothered by it. He simply gave her a wink and a smile, showing that it was all okay. “Don’t worry, my dear, the cold blooded tend to behave this way. Now, if you excuse me, I must be off.” Wasting no more time, John turned around and left the room, Strax hurrying to follow in his lead. 

 

“Sir, wait for me!” He called out as he, too, left the room, short legs moving him as quick as possible away from Jenny and Vastra, leaving them completely alone once more.

 

Jenny glanced awkwardly around the room, trying to avoid looking at the veterinarian as she finally settled in with the task of putting Greeny back into his traveling cage. “Well, if there is nothing else, I suppose I should get going. I’ll remember to buy a heat lamp whenever I can.”  

 

Jenny didn’t know why she was saying goodbye. She didn’t want to go, didn’t want to leave this gorgeous woman before her and likely never see her again. Yet, she had no choice, as there was no longer anything keeping her there. She sighed, deep and heavy.

 

Vastra’s head instantly swiveled back toward Jenny, her anger at the Doctor suddenly replaced with a grim sense of despair upon hearing Jenny say that. Truth be told, Vastra really didn’t want Jenny to leave either, but she knew she couldn’t risk violating professional business protocol by letting her suspiciously not-so-platonic feelings be revealed in front of this beautiful and lovely client, who had become the object of her affections. Rubbing the back of her neck with one hand, Vastra merely gave a small sheepish smile as she responded, “Yes, of course, it’s getting rather late….and I’m certain there are other clients that I need to attend to. Before I do that, though, I’d just like to say that it’s been my absolute pleasure helping you and Greeny today, Miss Flint.” Vastra paused for a moment, overcome with a sudden bout of self-consciousness, and temporarily diverted her gaze to the floor. She was soon able to look at Jenny again while her blue eyes shone faintly with optimism, and added, “I hope that you found my services here to be satisfactory then?”

 

Although they had gotten started on the wrong foot earlier, Vastra did genuinely mean what she said. Out of every other client that Vastra had come across during the course of her four year career at the clinic, none of them had ever fascinated or outright perplexed her quite like Jenny does. There was an unexplainable, penetrating, persistent feeling deep within her gut telling Vastra that maybe…. _ just maybe _ ….it will be different and special with Jenny. She had utterly no idea why she is willing to get her hopes up so high for this girl who she never knew existed until an hour ago, but at the same time she found herself unable to stop, too. While Vastra may be a certified know-it-all expert of lizards, she is actually terribly ignorant when it comes to matters of love.

 

Jenny couldn’t help but feel disappointed. After their hands had touched, she’d actually believed there was something between them, a connection perhaps. That maybe Vastra felt the same and shared even just a fraction of her own feelings. But, of course, not for her as  she was just another worried pet owner. “Right. Yes, your service was excellent and much appreciated. Goodbye, Miss McIntosh.” 

 

The two of them approached the door together, and there was a brief episode of awkwardly treading around eggshells, before Vastra finally insisted on holding the door open for Jenny to get through.

 

Glancing back wistfully at Vastra as she went, Jenny left the room, walking down the corridor and back to the waiting room. At the reception section, she saw Dr.Smith and the receptionist, Clara, standing there and chatting away amongst themselves. Quickly, Jenny tried to make a bee-line for the door, hoping to avoid any more awkwardness by escaping unnoticed. She really didn’t feel up to listening to another of the other veterinarian’s comments, with his painstakingly clear innuendos.

 

She was just about to open the door and step outside, when suddenly, she heard someone calling her name. 

 

“Miss Flint, wait! Please don’t leave yet!

 

Jenny was able to recognize that voice as belonging to Vastra, who nearly tripped and fell over her feet while rushing to catch Jenny at the door before it was too late. Dr. John and Clara both ceased their animated conversation in favor of watching their co-coworker chasing after a particular client like a madwoman, which was something they’ve never seen before. Every muscle in Jenny’s body became notably rigid with anticipation, and she closed her eyes, gathering herself so that she could face the gorgeous veterinerian again without automatically falling apart on the spot. When Jenny finally turned around, Vastra was standing only ten inches away, looking rather out of breath as her chest heaved rapidly to refill her lungs with air, and there was a thin sheen of sweat covering her forehead. Even in this disheveled and exhausted state, did Jenny still considered Vastra to be the most extraordinarily attractive woman in the whole world. She also noticed that Vastra was holding a sheet of paper in her hand, inspiring a newfound sense of curiosity within her mind. 

 

Once she had recovered enough of her energy to speak, Vastra said, “Pardon my, err, inconvenience, Miss Flint, but I’ve just realized that I forgot to ask for your phone number. It’s a precaution to help us  keep in contact with you, in case any problems should arise with your pet, Greeny, later on in the future.”

 

Not really knowing what else to say, Vastra simply held out the sheet of paper in front of Jenny, silently requesting her to sign it.

 

Seeing the paper, Jenny couldn’t help but smile. It was only for Greeny’s sake, she knew, but a small part of her just couldn’t help but hope that there was something more to it. Smiling nonetheless, she took the offered paper and pen, quickly writing down her number before  giving it back. As she did, however, a sudden and crazy idea hit her. “There you go. And, uh, if you wouldn’t mind, could I have your number as well? In case something does happen.”

 

It wasn’t until now that Vastra became aware of two other pairs of eyes watching them intently from across the opposite side of the room. Vastra blinked obliviously and tilted her head aside, trying to confirm if she had heard that correctly, or were her ears playing a false trick on her? Naturally, she found it hard to believe that anyone would ever want  _ her _ number, especially this angelic, amazing young girl who she had been so insensitive to.

 

“Come on Vastra, do it!” Vastra could hear John whispering behind her back. “I know you can do it!”

 

“No way, she won’t!” Clara protested, indicating that there was probably a bet taking place between the two of them. “She’s always been all talk and no action!”

 

As soon as Clara said that, it was like two circuit wires had been inserted inside Vastra’s brain to shock it back to life again, and she managed to smile charmingly at Jenny. “I suppose that would be alright, even if it’s not something that I normally do,” answered Vastra, who then unceremoniously grabbed Jenny’s hand and scrawled her own number on it. “Well, there you have it! That’s actually all the information that I need, so….have a wonderful evening, Miss Flint.”

 

Vastra couldn’t understand why she just did that, writing her number onto Jenny’s bare hand instead of a piece of paper, like any other reasonable and normal person would. 

 

Jenny smiled at her hand and turned around with the intention of walking out the door, but somehow ended up colliding headlong into it. Though a bit disoriented, Jenny was luckily able to find the door handle and swiftly exited the building. She wore a huge grin on her face, feeling more satisfied with herself than she’d been in a very, very long time. As she began heading down the sidewalk towards her apartment, Jenny abruptly stopped and carefully put the carrier on the ground. She then pulled out her phone from her pocket, typing the number on her hand into her phone’s contact list, and also taking a picture of her hand for good measure. She really didn’t want to lose the number, after having gone through so much just to get it.

 

And who knew? Maybe she would need to call and ask about Greeny….wait, who’s Greeny? Oh yeah, her pet lizard, how silly of her to forget for a minute there, again. 

 

Still smiling, she bent down and picked up the carrier. “Love you little guy!”

 

Jenny truly did love Greeny. She had originally bought him to be less lonely, and now it seemed as though it had all worked out, in the best way possible.

  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're back! Finally! So now we got gay dorks and petty sisters and angst and hapiness and oh did i mention gay? Enjoy!
> 
> Credits goes to Kelticscribe on Tumblr for the Scotttish translation used in this chapter! <3

 

The clock on the kitchen wall indicated that it was currently 8:30 in the morning. Vastra stood there leaning forward on the kitchen counter, already dressed in her regular casual weekend attire, consisting of a simple short-sleeved white button-up shirt, faded gray skinny jeans that accentuated the fine shapely curves of her legs, and black calf-length leather boots. Her favorite studded black leather jacket and plaid  scarf were both hung on the back of a nearby chair.

 

A cold, half-empty cup of green tea was laid on the table beside Vastra’s green, purple, and yellow motorcycle helmet, adorned with three large reptilian-like crests that protruded from the surface. The cup was labeled with the words, “Looney Lizard Lady”, written in a swirly childish font; It had been a gift from her friend and fellow veterinarian, John Smith, at a company Christmas party two years ago. While Vastra had outwardly rolled her eyes at his constant teasing about her so-called affinity with reptiles, she was nonetheless genuinely grateful for his friendship.

 

It was an extremely rare phenomenon to see the anti-morning  Scottish woman awake so early on a Sunday morning when she had no work, yet here she was anyway, nervously fumbling with her phone as she stared at a certain number glowing on her contact list. Strangely enough, she hasn’t been able to sleep properly within the past five days and deep down inside her mind, she knew that it had something to do with a particular young girl whose pet lizard she helped to treat several days prior that week. Watching the girl--Jenny--leave the clinic, Vastra felt as if the whole weight of the world had come crashing down upon her, and she had to resist the urge to go running out after her. Ever since that fateful Wednesday, Vastra has found it to be utterly impossible to focus on anything else because of this accursed beautiful girl, who seemed to haunt her mind without any rest during her every waking hour. The powerful tingling sensation she had felt that day still lingered on her hand where Jenny touched it, an enduring reminder of the profound connection they had shared together.  Vastra would mentally replay the episode of Jenny’s visit over and over again, allowing her to fully memorize all of Jenny’s physical details including her enchanting brown eyes, her blindingly bright smile, the little beauty mark located near her left upper lip, the lovely roundness of her face, and the way the light reflected brilliantly off of her dark brown hair. Never in her life did she thought that a creature so divinely magnificent and perfect could even exist on earth.To make matters worse, her infatuation with Jenny was actually the worst kept secret among her other co-workers at  the clinic, who would often catch her daydreaming in her office with a spaced-out expression on her face. Whenever she heard someone come in through the front door, Vastra would immediately rush into the reception room with the hope that it was Jenny, only to be severely disappointed each time. It was as if the girl had somehow cast a spell on her, effectively captivating her entire body, heart, and soul, from which Vastra struggled strenuously to break free.Vastra tried her damn hardest to hide her feelings and act like everything was normal by being her usual condescendingly grumpy self, but she knew that it was a completely futile effort on her part. Nothing she do or say could stop John and Clara from continuing their bets  and whispering gossips behind her back; For once, however, John and Clara also expressed a benign sense of pity towards Vastra, because they could clearly see just how much Jenny means to her. Although the  two of them might be total assholes and drive Vastra crazy sometimes, they were still able to rally at their friend’s side whenever she needed some extra support.

The only small consolation was that Vastra had fortunately managed to get Jenny’s phone number before she left. She honestly had no idea what to do next with that information, which now led her to this present situation of contemplating the pros and cons of calling Jenny that Sunday. A flurry of doubts and contradictions swirled around in her mind: _What if she’s busy? What if she doesn’t pick up? What if she thinks I’m a stalker? What if she secretly hates my guts? What if she changed her identity and fled the country???_

Suddenly overwhelmed by all the negatively discouraging voices in her head, Vastra angrily shoved her phone away across the table before hiding her face behind her hands in utter exasperation. Vastra felt like a coward and a fool to think that she could just talk to Jenny when even the mere sound of her name was enough to give her a goddamn heart attack. The chances that Jenny would view Vastra as anything more than “the looney veterinarian lady who looked at my lizard”, nevermind sharing the same romantic feelings for her, was far less than one in a billion. Bloody hell, she doesn’t even know if Jenny swings that way for God’s sake! Therefore, it soon dawned on Vastra that perhaps she had made a terribly grave mistake in regards to this whole Jenny debacle.

 

Then unexpectedly, there was another voice that called out to Vastra from the very deep recesses of her subconsciousness. It sounded rather familiar, and as Vastra continued to concentrate on the voice, she eventually recognized it to be her father’s voice! Her father’s voice was trying to remind her of an important piece of advice that he once gave her long ago, when she was just a wee lass back in Scotland: _Love works in mysterious ways, my darling daughter. The best thing to do is simply follow your heart and seize the opportunity right in front of you, lest you miss out on something that can grant you a lifetime of happiness._

 

Vastra couldn’t help the small, bittersweet smile that crept upon her lips; Good old Papa was still looking out for her even after all these years, she mused. Vastra’s father had always been an incredibly wise man, and she really didn’t want to disappoint him by letting this golden opportunity slip away so easily. Fueled by a newfound surge of fearlessness, Vastra quickly retrieved her phone and proceeded to hit the call button on her phone.This was it, there was no going back from here. The shallow rhythm of her breathing  and incessant pounding of her heart filled Vastra’s ears, as she anxiously waited for Jenny to answer at any second. Her foot tapped vigorously along to the ringing tune playing on the other side of the line.

 

“Hello? Who am I talking to? Hold on” After a few moments, a tired sounding voice spoke up on the other side, falling quiet for a little while before picking up once more. “Sorry Miss McIntosh. Had to check the caller ID. So, how can I help you?” Vastra could almost hear Jenny smiling on the other line, waiting for an answer.

 

Vastra really hoped that the heavy, relieved sigh that escaped from between her lips wasn’t noticeable to Jenny on the other end of the line. Step one accomplished! God, how absolutely wonderful did it felt to finally hear the sweetly angelic music that was Jenny’s voice again.

 

The sheer fact that Jenny even picked up momentarily stunned Vastra, who started to speak but hesitated. Vastra had to rack her brain to find a valid response, and uncharacteristically stammered when she said, “Uhh...err...um….H-Hello, Miss Flint, yes it is I, Miss McIntosh, the vet from the clinic in case you don’t remember me. I was just calling you to ask  if um….if you’re having a good morning today?”

 

Vastra’s entire face cringed as soon as she uttered those words. _Ugh, you stupid, stupid idiot! Are you trying to make it sound so bloody fucking obvious?!_

 

“Oh. Yes I am having a good morning. I’m sorry I was a little slow earlier, I’m normally an earlier riser. Unfortunately I have not been sleeping very well lately, so I’ve been trying to catch up on lost sleep when I’m not working weekends.” There was a short pause, and then Jenny spoke once more. “And you? Are you having a good morning?”

 

“Splendid!” Replied Vastra, sounding a little too enthusiastic than she intended, causing her to wince yet again. _Bloody hell, woman, pull yourself together already!_ “Errr, what I mean,um, is that it’s truly splendid to hear you are doing well this morning. Despite the fact that you’ve been unable to sleep much lately, of course, which I am sincerely sorry about. Although, I do appreciate your kindness in asking me how I am….my morning is also good, thank you. Dare I say, maybe even better now that I’ve finally managed to make your acquaintance.” Vastra unconsciously bit her lip, though she was barely able to prevent a silly, indulgent schoolgirl smile from breaking out across her face. She then realized that she had been rambling unnecessarily, and decided to quickly get on with business by saying, “Well then, Miss Flint, perhaps it would be best if I get straight to the point with you. It was my intention to call you this weekend to ask about Greeny, and I just wanted to be sure that I got the right number. So, how is Greeny faring since your visit to the clinic?”

 

“Oh, Greeny. Yes...my pet lizard…” Once more Jenny trailed off, before quickly picking up again. “Yes. Sorry, tired. Me brain is being stupid. Greeny is doing better than ever. Your tips about the heat lamp was just what Greeny needed, it seems. I haven't had time to pick up any more plants for him but it's definitely on my to-do list. If you want to….and _only_ if you want to….then maybe you could come over and see for yourself?”

 

Vastra very nearly dropped her phone when Jenny said that, and her hand instinctively tightened its grip on the phone with enough force to break it in half.

 

“ _P-Pardon?_ ” Gasped a highly bewildered Vastra, who felt her pulse rate increased dramatically due to the shock caused by Jenny’s words. “Can you repeat that, please?”

 

Vastra was entirely convinced that her ears must be deceiving her, as she believed that there was no possible way Jenny could have mean what she thought she meant.

 

“Uh...I just...maybe it was stupid. I understand if you're too busy and everything, but I just thought maybe you’d like to come over and see how Greeny is doing?” Jenny stumbled over her words and Vastra couldn’t help but think she sounded almost hopeful.

 

It took a while for Jenny’s words to sink into Vastra’s brain, leading her to reply with,“Oh….Oh!  Please forgive my uh confusion, Miss Flint, it’s just that no client has ever invited me to their home like that before. Though if you insist, I suppose that I can make time in my schedule to come over and check on Greeny. You’re lucky that I don’t have to work on Sundays.” Vastra silently pumped her fist in the air at how well she handled that response. Her glee was short lived, nonetheless, for she then realized that she have absolutely no knowledge about Jenny’s place of residence. “Err….however, I’m afraid that I don’t have a single idea as to where you live. An address would be most helpful, if you are willing to provide me with one.”

 

“Oh...uh...yes I’m sorry if it’s a bother. I normally work on Sundays, but today I don’t, so I thought it’d be a good idea. Greeny could benefit from it, and I’d know that he really is doing better.” She paused to catch her breath.. “Oh! And my address, it's 222 Great Portland Street, the Armitage Apartment buildings. It’s close to Hyde Park near the River Thames.”

 

Meanwhile, Vastra had ran to her bedroom drawer and frantically searched around for a notepad and pen. She carefully wrote down the address as Jenny spoke before reassuring her,“Trust me, Miss Flint, this is honestly no trouble to me at all whatsoever. In fact…,”Vastra paused to consult the watch on her wrist, “...would it be okay with you if I come over now, since I am free this morning?”

 

“Oh yes...absolutely.” Jenny sounded just the tiniest bit hesitant as she spoke. “I’m just fixing some things in my apartment, but you can come over whenever.”

 

“Excellent! I shall indeed be there shortly, Miss Flint. It’s been a real pleasure talking to you again….goodbye for now!” Thus, with that final farewell, Vastra abruptly hung up the call.

 

Vastra tucked her phone away into her jean pocket and leaned heavily against the drawer at her back as she tried to regain her breath after talking with Jenny. That phone call could have been a huge utter disaster, but miraculously she was somehow able to pull it off…..albeit _barely_. God knows that every inch of her body was on fire the entire time, and  she felt as though  her heart was going to burst out of her chest just from that one simple interaction. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever expected Jenny to suggest that she make a personal visit to her actual home. Damn it, if she can’t even handle a little phone call with Jenny, then how the hell will she be capable of physically seeing the girl face-to-face at her home without totally self destructing on the spot! She was going to fuck up so badly in front of Jenny for sure, and the thought of that really frightened her more than anything. Vastra was beginning to consider potential excuses that she can use in order to not go, but all of them instantly disappeared when she caught sight of Jenny’s address that she had written on a notepad. Her eyebrows became scrunched upon her forehead and she bit her lip, a wave of guilt washing over her as she knew that Jenny was looking forward to their meeting later. Vastra soon found herself painfully torn between growing a spine and going to Jenny’s home anyways despite the risks, or breaking her promise to Jenny like a lily-livered chicken; She wanted to cry out in frustration due to the raging internal  conflict that was threatening to effectively tear her apart. Why must this godforsaken girl suddenly walk into her life and completely complicate everything! It was during this dark hour, that salvation then came to Vastra in the form of her father’s disembodied voice once again.

 

 _…..Follow your heart and seize the opportunity right in front of you…._.

Those words ignited a fiery spark of courage within Vastra’s heart, as she became firmly determined to seize the opportunity right in front of her, just like her father had taught her. Life was too short to waste on worrying over frivolous doubts, and this could be her only chance of at least starting something deeper with Jenny. She would never be able to forgive herself if she had simply let her fears scare her out of pursuing a relationship that could change her life forever. Deciding that there was no time to lose, Vastra immediately went to grab her leather jacket, scarf, motorcycle helmet, and keys, before exiting her house to approach the motorcycle parked beside the sidewalk. Her resolve was strong as steel and absolutely nothing could break it now. The Scottish woman could soon be seen zooming down the street, as she was embarked on a personally sacred mission to heal a lizard and get the girl.

 

\----

Hanging up the phone, Jenny felt as though she could hardly breath. She couldn’t believe that she just had invited her pet lizard’s extremely _hot_ veterinarian to come into her home and take a look at said lizard. In her home, where she could observe all of her attractive Scottish glory. Even though she hoped she had sounded collected on the phone, calm and collected was the last thing she was feeling, and she was quite sure that she would explode from pure, untempered desire lest she moved right that minute. She had to get her apartment ready and properly presentable for Vastra, because a good first impression was extremely crucial in this situation.

 

Quickly, she got up on her feet, trying to gather everything that was out of place and putting them back as sufficiently as she could while still keeping some efficiency. She had been meaning to spend the day cleaning up the apartment anyway, because she hated when it got too dirty, but now she only had an hour, two at most, to do a day’s worth of work. Fortunately, if there was anything Jenny could do adequately, it was cleaning.  Her first priority were the tea cups;She searched out all the abandoned tea cups in the house, picking them up from bookshelves and the coffee table and the floor, everywhere she’d abandoned them, before carrying them to the dishwasher, and  putting them in there until it was filled.

 

When she was done with the cups, the books came next. As much as Jenny liked to drink tea, she also enjoyed reading, and therefor, there were books laying  everywhere as well. With the speed of a seasoned professional, she picked up one paperback after another, gathering them in her arms and lining them back in the bookshelves. She made sure they were put back in a correctly organized order, and once she was done, she smiled at her handiwork.

 

Cleaning her apartment always felt great, and it was even better now that she’d done it in record time, too. More importantly, it felt reassuring to know that Vastra would be coming into a clean, neatly organised apartment. Standing there, looking at her beautifully spotless apartment, she suddenly wondered what she should do next. Lifting her arm a little, she caught onto how much her armpit smelled, and decided that she definitely need to take a shower next. Just like her apartment couldn’t be dirty, she herself couldn’t be smelling like a trash can.

 

Swiftly, she made a beeline for the bathroom, plucking some new clothes out of the drawer with care as she once more thought about Vastra, the gorgeous veterinarian visiting her apartment later. Still completely immersed in her romantic daydreaming, she retrieved a short black skirt and cute white top that might be slightly too tight, before popping into the shower to make herself as clean and sweet smelling as possible.Ten minutes later, Jenny came out of the shower, a towel wrapped tightly around her freshly moist body as she made her way over to her bedroom to get dressed.

 

Passing by the window, she suddenly caught sight of someone coming down the road on a motorbike. The person driving the vehicle was wearing a frankly ridiculous looking helmet with some kind of lizard-like crests on the top in the most obtrusive colours. Jenny was absolutely positive that such a helmet could even be seen from all the way up in outer space!

 

Jenny was still laughing about the truly quite flamboyant headgear, when the mysterious rider, to Jenny’s great surprise, stopped outside her apartment. More interested than before, Jenny kept looking as the rider jumped off the motorcycle and removed the helmet and goggles, and….Jenny almost fainted dead in her towel as she then saw that it was Vastra who was the unknown rider. For God’s sake, why can’t this woman just give her a fucking break for once already!

 

Feeling suddenly panicked, heart caught in her throat as she tried to process the fact that Vastra had a motorcycle and a leather jacket, and was on her way up to her apartment, Jenny rushed to find her clothes and put them on. After blindly fumbling around, entirely unfocused, for at least five minutesl she finally got hold of the skirt and top and put them on, getting dressed just in time to hear the doorbell ringing out in the hallway. Not thinking about anything else but Vastra standing in a leather jacket outside her door, Jenny hurriedly  ran across the apartment, almost ripping the door off its hinges in her rush to open it, just a little too excited finally see Vastra again.

 

Vastra stood in the hallway, hand raised as if she was about to knock on the door, and carrying a small plastic bag in her other hand. All of her earlier bravado seemingly vanished into thin air when she caught sight of Jenny after she had opened the door. She suddenly couldn’t breath as her eyes tried to refocus themselves on the mind-boggling vision that was Jenny, dressed in a form-fitting white tank top that revealed just the right amount of cleavage, a black mini skirt, and thick strands of dripping wet hair hanging down her head. Vastra could feel the lingering steam of the shower practically radiating off of Jenny’s body, which now floated towards her face, hitting her head-on like a sensually humid tropical breeze. Her lips were impossibly dry, prompting her to quickly lavish them with her tongue. Even though the temperature outside had been rather chilly, Vastra found herself getting increasingly hotter with every passing second that she remained staring at Jenny, and she was certain that she was going to end up spontaneously combusting anytime soon. Vastra also noticed the innocently welcoming smile that appeared on Jenny’s face, causing her to wonder if Jenny was somehow aware of the bewitching effects she had on her by wearing such an outfit. Her hair, her cleavage, her curves, her legs…..Jenny was clearly a walking embodiment of lustful temptation and poor, gay Vastra didn’t stood a chance against her. Goddamn it, just when she thought that she had everything under control, Jenny had to come along and throw one hell of a curveball at her! So utterly dumbstruck was Vastra, that she even forgot the words to speak and the ability to move her body. The only thing that her brain could think about was Jenny, who definitely was going to be the death of her as she knew it. Oh, what a strangely idyllic way to die that would be.

 

Jenny watched as Vastra stood before her, a tingling sensation gathering in her stomach as she admired the smooth, shiny leather encasing Vastra’s upper body. It was so different from what she had worn at the clinic, and Jenny found herself to be intrigued by this new side of Vastra that she wasn’t previously familiar with. She also had never seen anyone who looked that ravishing in a leather jacket, making the normal appeal of leather clothing even stronger. Still, she couldn’t help but let her mind wander a bit trying to imagine what she would look like underneath the smooth, shiny leather. She imagined hard muscles first, then she imagined spider thin, delicate limbs, and lastly she imagined what it might feel like to cup her hands around Vastra’s full round breasts, carefully squeezing the smooth flesh in her hands and enjoying Vastra’s reaction. Quickly dragging herself out of her fantasy, she realised that Vastra was still waiting for her to say something.

 

“Miss McIntosh!” She smiled, stepping out of the way so that Vastra could come inside. “Come in. It's good to see that you could come so soon. I do hope it's not a bother.”

 

There was no response from Vastra, who merely continued to stand there with a faraway expression fixed on her face.

 

“Uh, Miss McIntosh? Ma’am?” Carefully, Jenny prodded a finger into Vastra’s side, in an attempt to get her attention. “Are you alright?”

 

Her prodding seemed to work a little too well, as it startled Vastra and she began to blurt out, “I LOVE YO….oouuuuur wallpaper….that you have here, in your home!” Very narrowly dodging a bullet there, Vastra finally managed to reboot  her legs and swiftly stepped into Jenny’s main living room.

 

Giving Vastra a slightly odd look, Jenny allowed herself to look at her dark blue wallpapers, too. She’d never given them much thought, but she supposed they could be worse. “Thanks. Though honestly, they’ve looked like that since I moved in. I meant to maybe change them someday, but they don't really bother me and...well, I haven't had enough time, I suppose.” She shrugged. She really did not care much about her wallpapers.

 

“They look perfectly fine to me, and this particular shade of blue does seem to bring everything together….,” remarked Vastra, observing the wallpaper for a while longer before ultimately forcing herself to turn back towards Jenny. Trying to ignore the deafening sound of her inner terrified screaming, Vastra flashed Jenny her most genial smile and said, “Well then, aren’t you looking rather properly rested this morning, Miss Flint. I can clearly see that you have quite an attractive, sunny complexion about you.”

 

Hearing the compliment, Jenny’s entire being lit up like a christmas tree, a big smile on her face as she followed Vastra inside, closing the door behind her. “Thank you! It is very nice of you to say that. Really, I’m glad you think I look better than I actually  feel. So...um, what should we do now? Want some tea or coffee? You can put away your jacket if you want to.” She continued to smile, still entirely smittened by Vastra complimenting  her complexion and feeling extremely happy as she gestured to the coat rack.

 

Suddenly feeling self-conscious about her appearance, Vastra nervously tugged at the collar of her leather jacket while switching her gaze in between Jenny and the coat rack. Although she was genuinely flattered by Jenny’s warm hospitality, Vastra couldn’t help but be afraid of what she might think about the tattoos on her arms. Vastra knew that tattoos were a huge turn off for some people, and she wasn’t willing to take that risk just yet, in case Jenny was one of them.

 

Vastra mentally concluded that the only logical  thing for her to do in this situation, was to remain calm, check on Greeny, and leave as quickly as possible to help minimize the probability of her potentially embarrassing herself in front of Jenny. “Err, no thank you, Miss Flint, I’m actually not that thirsty at the moment,”declined Vastra graciously, despite her mouth being noticeably parched as a sun baked dessert in the middle of summer whenever she looked at Jenny. “I assume that you have many plans that you’d want to fulfill this Sunday, yes? Therefore, would you be so kind as to show me where Greeny is? I certainly do not wish to take up too much of your time with this visit today.”

 

Jenny tried not to show how disappointed she felt as Vastra brushed aside her suggestions, before affirmatively nodding. “Of course. I...ah, yes,Greeny is over here.” Deliberately, she crossed the living room until she was standing by the wall, bending down to retrieve greeny’s cage from the floor. “Where do you want me to put him? Somewhere here or in the kitchen?”

 

Vastra then peered into Jenny’s kitchen through the entrance located on the left side of the room, and was able to catch a glimpse of a pristine marble countertop. That instantly triggered a series of remarkably vivid images to flick across Vastra’s eyes; Coincidentally, all of them appeared to feature the same marble countertop upon which Jenny was sitting, still wearing her tank top and skirt, her legs wrapped tightly around Vastra’s waist as the two of them ravished each other’s mouths in a sexually passionate embrace. Witnessing those explicitly carnal visual representations of her own deepest, secretive, forbidden desires towards a particular female client was a profoundly alarming experience for Vastra, who felt as though her whole body was being consumed by a ruthless whirlwind of pure hellfire. This was definitely not the appropriate time, or place to be fantasizing about jumping your client’s bones, especially if said client is standing directly in front of you, which only makes it a thousand times worse! Vastra was at least fortunate that Jenny wasn’t a professional psychic mind reader or anything, because she would totally die from mortification if she could somehow see the things that are happening inside her head. Vastra was desperate to find some kind of cerebral off switch that could stop these unwanted thoughts from invading her psyche, but there seemed to be absolutely no end in sight to this annoyingly  persistent problem. She remained determined anyways, however, and continued to push herself until she was finally able to break free of that accursed illusion using sheer willpower.

 

Praying fervently that her inner shame wasn’t too visible, Vastra returned her full attention back onto Jenny and answered with, “The living room is fine, we don’t have to go anywhere else. There is already a table in here and that’s all I really need to be able to work with Greeny.”

 

Vastra had, indeed, made it a main priority to stay far away from the kitchen as possible, in order to prevent herself from getting entangled among such troublesome hallucinations like that ever again.

 

“Oh, good. Yes, that sounds good indeed.” Smiling, Jenny quickly put the cage down on the table, opening the door. “And again, thank you for taking time to come by and check on Greeny, Miss McIntosh. It really is awfully nice of you.”

 

“Really, Miss Flint, you don’t have to keep thanking me for simply doing my job. I am merely following the ancient sacred Veterinarian’s Code of Honor to always help an animal in pain, wherever they may be,” Vastra joked lightheartedly as she approached the coffee table, carefully making sure that there was an ample amount of space in between Jenny and herself. “Additionally, I must also  admit that have been missing yo….Greeny an awful lot lately.  I’m truly delighted to be here in your humble abode, so that I can see how my special little green boy is recovering.” She abruptly diverted her gaze towards Greeny’s  cage, utterly relieved to have something else to look at instead of Jenny.

 

“Great! I’m sure Greeny missed you too...Uh…” Jenny’s eyes  moved around the room, searching for something to focus on that was not Vastra’s stunningly attractive face and lethal smile. “What’s in the plastic bag?” She gestured to the generic plastic bag she just noticed that Vastra was carrying.

 

Vastra merely blinked and tilted her head to the side.“What plastic bag?” She asked, momentarily confused before remembering the thing she was holding in her hand, “Oh….yes, of course, it’s uhh….just a little gift that I picked up on my way here.” Vastra was smiling rather bashfully as she proceeded to reveal the content of her bag with great flourish. “It’s a traditional mini Japanese bonsai tree, for Greeny. I have one of my own at home, and thought that maybe you’d like to put it in his cage as decoration.” Even then, Vastra still kept her eyes on the tree and nervously bit her lip while she anticipated Jenny’s reaction.

 

Jenny nodded slowly, smiling. “Oh. Yes, uh….thanks! I had meant to buy some new plants but I haven't really had any time...or money...to do it yet. Thanks.” She blushed, ducking her head and looking away.

 

Glancing at Jenny, Vastra was able to catch a brief glimpse of Jenny’s pretty, cute blushing face, which was more than enough to make her heart stop altogether for several dreamlike seconds. At this particular point, Vastra was almost entirely convinced that Jenny was no ordinary human girl, but must really be a divine angel who had somehow fallen down to earth. There was simply no other explanation as to how someone could ever be so beautiful, pure, and marvelous as Jenny is in her eyes.

 

“You’re, uhh, very welcome, Miss Flint. Do you want to take the tree yourself, or should I put it down somewhere?” Questioned Vastra, sounding slightly uncertain with the bonsai tree still in her hands.

 

Smiling and feeling acutely embarrassed, Jenny immediately reached out for the plant. “I suppose I don’t mind taking it off your hands for you. I’ll just…” Carefully, she went in to grab it, but at the same time Vastra suddenly moved slightly to the side and instead of taking the tree, she hit Vastra squarely in the face with her hand, barely catching the tree as Vastra dropped it before stumbling backwards, clutching her face with her hands while her glasses were sent flying to the floor by the accidental punch.

 

“Oh my god! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I just...oh my god!” Jenny couldn’t even process what she’d done, backing away slowly with the tree clutched in her hands, eyes wide in horror. She could barely believe that her chronically clumsy tendencies had caused her to K.O. the most sexy person in existence by mistake.

 

The Scottish woman kept reeling backwards until she hit a wall, causing several of the hung paintings to rattle a bit. Vastra released a rather snake-like hiss as she felt the stinging pain spreading across her face from where Jenny had smacked her. Though as tremendously  embarrassing as that may be, Vastra still couldn’t bear to hear Jenny blaming herself for something that was truly an accident.

 

Putting on a brave front, Vastra gradually lowered her hands away from her face and tried to re-establish a stable, composed demeanor. “Oh dear….hehe, that’s quite a strong right hook you got there, Miss Flint,” Spoke Vastra with a humorous tone in an attempt to make light of the situation, while completely disregarding the blood that is oozing out of her nose. “I think I understand why Scotland Yard hired you now…..such bountiful raw power, contained within such a small person. It’s fine, Miss Flint, I’m OK, really, I forgive you.” Vastra gave Jenny her best and most reassuring smile to show her that everything was alright.

 

Looking doubtfully at Vastra, Jenny said nothing but quickly pulled out a tissue  from the box she kept on the  coffee table and gave it to Vastra. As soon as Vastra accepted the offered tissue, Jenny then went for the glasses next. She had noticed them falling off Vastra’s face, and now she went to retrieve them, bending over to pick them off the floor.

 

Having a perfectly good view from where she stood, Vastra’s eyes practically popped of their sockets and her jaw very nearly dropped to the floor at the sight of Jenny’s skirt riding up her rear to reveal a rather provocative glimpse of her silk panties underneath.

 

As Jenny stretched out to grab them, she noticed to her amusement that there were tiny lizards printed on the glasses. Smiling to herself, she quickly picked them up and stood upright again. “Right. I got your glasses, and I really am so sorry. I can't even hit that hard!”

 

“Well considering that my nose is now bleeding, I’d beg to differ on that” replied Vastra without the slightest hint of anger, as she tore off the tissue into smaller pieces and stuffed them up into her nostrils. She was absolutely certain that she was going to die of blood loss by the end of that visit.

 

“Right. Again, I’m very sorry.” Stepping forward, Jenny carefully tried to put the glasses back on Vastra’s face, her breath catching as she saw the brilliant blue eyes looking directly back at her. They were incredibly beautiful, deep puddles of glittering oceans bringing to life an equally brilliant mind. God, she could easily get lost in them forever and never come back, thought Jenny. As she finished putting the glasses in place, Jenny put her arms back at her sides, carefully taking a step back and suddenly realising how extremely close she had been - and still were - to Vastra.That the Scottish woman had even let her in that close surprised her, and she couldn’t help the blush tinging her cheeks as she realised that she had in fact, invaded the woman’s personal space without even asking for permission.

 

Taking another step back, her blush deepened, and so did the embarrassment. “I’m sorry. Again. I….you...your eyes are...blue. I like blue. Not blue like my walls but, _better_ blue. _Perfect_ blue. _Amazing_ ocean blue. _Really, really blue_ of the prettiest blue kind.”

 

Vastra swore that the entire world had stopped spinning in that moment, freezing time in place as Jenny slid her glasses back onto her face with such genuine care and tenderness. Her eyes briefly fluttered shut and she allowed herself to inhale a whiff of Jenny’s sweet smelling peach shampoo that sent all of her senses into overdrive with euphoria. A very small, inappropriate part of her even wondered whether or not Jenny would taste as delicious as she smells. Alas, Vastra had to keep her utter disappointment hidden when Jenny abruptly moved away from her area of range, appearing immensely apologetic for some reason which she couldn’t figure out. Vastra missed being so close in proximity with Jenny, but her dismay was instantly replaced by surprise when Jenny complimented her eyes, albeit in a fairly awkward and drawn out way.

 

Now it was Vastra’s turn to blush as she nervously adjusted her glasses, scrunched her nose, and bowed her head to avoid the other woman’s gaze. “I….uhh...thank you, how very kind of you to say that,” said a highly flustered Vastra, a shy elated smile forming upon her lips. “Yes, my eyes are indeed blue. I’ve had them since I was born….but nobody has ever seemed to appreciate them like you do.”

 

“Nobody has ever appreciated me like you do.” Jenny replied, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them, regardlessly not being able to hold back her smile.

 

“Excuse my forwardness, but I do find that hard to believe,” Vastra responded softly, lifting her head up to lock shining blue eyes with Jenny’s chocolate brown ones. There was a period of inaction where the two of them merely smiled at each other in a sort of intimate silence, before Vastra decided to break it by saying, “Well then, let not this minor setback prevent us from getting on with the task at hand, shall we?”

 

Thus pushing aside that trivial incident of unintentional violence, Vastra promptly approached the front of Greeny’s cage and proceeded to gently coax him out of his home. As soon as Vastra first saw that little scaly lizard’s head peeking out from the cage, she could already tell that Greeny had been recovering far better than when she examined him at the clinic. His scales appeared to be more colorful, his movements more fluid, his eyes wide open, and there was even a tiny contented smile on his face. Vastra’s smile grew wider when she heard Greeny emit a high-pitched crooning noise as a way of greeting her. Apparently, there wasn’t going to be much that Vastra will have to check on Greeny and she was glad for it.

 

Jenny watched Vastra tending to Greeny intently, praying that her little lizard was doing alright. Careful not to come too close, she approached the both of them slowly. “I do think he should be doing quite fine now, seeing as I took your advise. He’s seemed to be more energetic lately, but I don’t really know. What do you think? Is there something else I should do?” She bit her lip a little, trying not to sound all worried, thought to be honest, she feared what Vastra might say.

 

Several long, agonizing minutes passed before Vastra turned to look at Jenny and said,”Congratulations, Miss Flint, your pet lizard here does appear to be in excellent shape from what I can see. I hope that my diagnostic will help to put your mind at ease about Greeny’s wellbeing. Trust me, he is perfectly healthy and lizardy as ever, so I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you.” With that final verdict, Vastra then returned Greeny back into the safe, warm, cozy vicinity of his cage and recast her gaze over to Jenny. “Any more questions that you want to ask me?”

 

Upon hearing Vastra’s question, Jenny had to bite her lip hard  to not let something lewd, or incredibly inappropriate, out of her mouth. Finally, after standing around and chewing her lip longer than she ought to, she then asked, “Can you stay for some coffee, or tea if you prefer, and pastries? I’ve got some cookies I baked just the other week in the kitchen. It could be my way of thanking you for coming here and looking at Greeny.” She smiled, and before Vastra could protest, she added. “Please? I would feel so much better if I gave something in return.” She made puppy dog eyes, and hoped so badly that Vastra would not go. She was not  ready to let this goddess of a woman walk out of her apartment just yet.

 

Those accursed puppy dog eyes seemed to have put a dent in Vastra’s initial plan for a hasty escape out of the apartment. Any argument against Jenny’s invitation to stay that Vastra possessed instantly melted away into those enticingly warm brown eyes that look as though they could pierce right through her very soul. Secretly, though, Vastra’s heart was  deeply touched by the fact that Jenny actually desired her company, and was fighting so hard for the chance to show Vastra her gratitude. It was exactly this type of caring nature and moxy that kept pulling Vastra further and further in love towards this utterly majestic young woman. How could she possibly bring herself to deny Jenny this one innocent request, when she knew that it would certainly break the poor girl’s heart if she said no?  What’s the harm in hanging around for a little bit of complimentary coffee and cookies? Just play it cool and everything will be fine, right?

 

Feeling all of her resolve rapidly slipping from her grasp, Vastra finally managed to crack open a slight friendly smile and nodded in agreement. “Fine, you win! But only because I’m feeling rather famished, and your offer of cookies does sound simply too good to refuse,”spoke Vastra cheerfully, even topping it off with a fairly flirtatious wink to boot.

 

Vastra then walked around the coffee table in order to reach the sofa, where she began to remove her leather jacket and scarf. Vastra didn’t really thought much about what she was doing, until she heard an audibly shocked gasp coming from Jenny. That alone was enough to make Vastra stop, her entire body becoming tense, as she squeezed her eyes shut and mentally reprimanded herself for acting so carelessly in Jenny’s home.

 

As Vastra sat down on the couch, she finally pulled off her scarf and that incredible, sexy leather jacket that she had arrived in. Taking almost too much pleasure in watching her pull off the smooth leather from her shoulders and sliding her well-toned arms out of the sleeves, Jenny simply couldn’t withhold her gasp as she saw what Vastra was hiding underneath. The entire length of Vastra’s gorgeous , breathtakingly lean and slender arms were covered in stylistic black and green snake tattoos. Jenny followed them with her eyes, greedily taking in every little detail of the extensive, beautifully designed snake tattoo. It went all the way up to Vastra’s firm shoulders, some of her brown hair just barely reaching down long enough to lay across the very top of it, before mysteriously disappearing into her shirt and perhaps continuing underneath. While Jenny did not envision Vastra to be the kind of person to be covered in tattoos, she could not say that she disliked what she was seeing, and she kept smiling as Vastra made herself comfortable on the couch.

 

This woman was not only hot, she was on _goddamn scorching fire!_

 

Suddenly feeling terribly naked without her jacket and with her ink clad arms now on full display for Jenny to see, Vastra blushed bright tomato red as she shifted quite uneasily in her seat. Not wanting Jenny to think that there was anything wrong, however, Vastra then implemented a deliberate demonstration of swagger by stretching her muscular arms high above her head, before bringing them down to rest upon her neatly crossed legs. Hands clasped deftly against her knee, Vastra couldn’t resist leaning slightly forward so that she could hungrily devour Jenny’s most peculiarly risque attire with her keen eyes once again.

 

“Well then….is the lovely hostess not going to provide the promised coffee and cookies for her guest?” Inquired Vastra with a thickly alluring Scottish accent seeping through her tone, and one dark eyebrow raised elegantly on her forehead.

 

Jenny truly thought that she would faint on the spot. For a moment, she felt everything swim before her eyes and it felt as though all the air had left her lungs, but thankfully she soon managed to collect herself. It would have been terribly embarrassing if she did pass out, just because this goddess of a woman removed her jacket. Nodding, she quickly set off towards the kitchen, disappearing through the doorway before Vastra could say anything.

 

“Coming right up! Do you want sugar or cream?” She called out once she’d reached the kitchen, thankful to be out of sight as her cheeks kept heating up like two buns fresh out of the oven. “Also, are you allergic to nuts?” The last thing was an afterthought, because as she reached for the cookie jar she realised, she didn’t know and she always used nuts in her cookies, because she liked it that way herself. Almost frantically, she tried to look for something else to server her guest as she waited for the answer, preparing for the worst.

 

“Just a dash of sugar and cream is how I usually prefer my coffee,” responded Vastra, who could hear Jenny moving around inside the kitchen due to her rather abnormally sharp sense of hearing. “I am not allergic to any nuts, but my body is badly affected by chocolate!”

 

Vastra truly didn’t mind waiting for Jenny, and she was able to occupy herself with observing the surrounding area that was Jenny’s living room. The room was considerably  smaller than your average house, yet still relatively comfortable, noted Vastra as her eyes swept across the modest sized television set, framed paintings, bookshelves ladened with an impressive quantity of reading material, and a few colorful priceless vases among other things. What really struck Vastra the most was how impeccably clean and well-kept everything was, as far as she could see at least; It was such a stark contrast when compared to Vastra’s own junkyard of a house, which made it nearly impossible to tell where clutter ends and civilization begins. As domestically challenged as Vastra was, she would always attribute it to her busy working schedule at the clinic which left her with very little time to get her home in order. The best that she could do was a little dusting here, a  bit of sweeping there, and a whole lot of shoving things into a closet to be forgotten about forever. Though to be honest, it never actually bothered Vastra as much as it would other people knowing that her house will never be as neat as Jenny’s, mainly because she’s already gotten so used to its constantly chaotic state by now.

 

“Coffee’s here!” Jenny announced cheerfully as she came out the kitchen with the tray, coffee, cookies, sugar and cream loaded onto it, as well as a cup of tea for herself. “I hope they will be satisfactory.” She bit her lip, hoping Vastra would be satisfied by the coffee and cookies. She could already feel her cheeks heating from the disappointment and embarrassment if Vastra were to dislike any of the food or beverages.

 

Little did Jenny know, however, that the tray of freshly baked treats and coffee weren’t the only things that Vastra was drooling over.

 

Vastra watched with substantial interest as Jenny placed the tray of refreshments down on the table in front of her, and uplifted her face to smile graciously at her generous hostess. The Scottish woman had always possessed an uncanny ability to accurately detect even the slightest quirk in someone’s body language, so it shouldn't be a surprise that she was able to pick up on Jenny’s nervously restless aura. Vastra was intensely curious as to the reason for Jenny’s apparent anxiousness, but figured that would be best if she didn’t say anything about it.

 

Instead, Vastra simply went ahead and picked up a delectable looking cookie from the tray, before taking a tentative bite off of it. “Mmmm…..how exquisitely scrumptious, and I especially liked the delightful crunch of the nuts you added,”commented Vastra, seemingly pleased, whose tongue then briefly flicked out to wipe some crumbs off her lip. “You really ought to consider becoming a baker, because I can happily eat these for the rest of my life.”

 

That was soon followed by Vastra picking up the cup of coffee, it's powerfully rich aroma filling her nostrils despite being clogged with blood, and bringing it towards her mouth for a sip, which also elicited the same positive reaction from Vastra.

 

Jenny watched attentively as Vastra tried the cookies and coffee. To her utter delight, the woman seemed to enjoy both of them, even going as far as to compliment her cookies. Once she felt safe that everything was satisfactory, she carefully sat down on the other end of the sofa, grabbing her cup of tea in both hands and trying to think up something to say. Her eyes scanned Vastra’s body, her gaze continuously being drawn to the green and black tattoos on her arms, still as fascinating as the first time she saw them. “So…” She said tentatively, pausing to sip on her tea. “It is some very nice tattoos you got on your arms. I like the design.”

 

Vastra abruptly stopped and instantly swiveled her head to look at Jenny, being utterly astonished that Jenny just actually complimented her tattoos.

 

Gradually, her face then lit up with a brilliantly bright smile, as she could hardly contain her excitement, and said, “Oh thank you, Miss Flint, how very kind of you to say so! I chose this particular design, because I wanted something to help me remember my ancestral Celtic roots while I’m down here in London.” Vastra’s smile continued to broaden even more when a most splendid idea struck her mind. “Also, if you like what you’re seeing on my arms, I have another tattoo on my back which I am especially proud of. Here...I‘ll show you!”

 

Without giving Jenny a chance to reply, Vastra eagerly pulled out her phone from her pocket and found a picture of herself flexing shirtless while facing away from the camera to showcase the large, intricately detailed tattoo that occupied nearly her entire backside.

 

The tattoo was absolutely stunning, as it depicts two swords crossing a shield bearing the noble McIntosh clan name, and strewn with vines of wildflowers.

 

Jenny started at the photo, politely trying to focus on the beautiful, intricate tattoo rather than the amount of bare skin Vastra was revealing in the photo and her strong, flexing arms. “That’s an absolutely amazing tattoo.” Jenny said softly. She didn’t know much about tattooing, but with a highly detailed and creative design being worn by such a gorgeous Scottish woman, Jenny truly felt like she'd fallen in love with the tattoo.

 

Now suddenly aware of the fact that she has  just showed Jenny a very personal and half naked picture out of sheer impulsiveness, Vastra could feel her face blushing a fiery crimson for what would be the billionth time in that day alone. “Err...thank you, I’m really glad that you think so,”replied Vastra, who couldn’t help sounding somewhat bashful. “Yes, my tattoos are amazing indeed, because they hold such a great amount of personal significance to me. They’re a permanently important  part of who I am, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.”

 

Jenny merely nodded and smiled understandably at Vastra, trying to absorb every single one of Vastra’s words as the Scottish woman was practically baring her soul to her.

 

It was in that moment that Vastra’s phone suddenly started ringing, which caused the both of them to jump a little in surprise.

 

“Oh God, it’s my sister calling me,” muttered Vastra as she checked the caller ID before returning her attention back to Jenny. “I’m so sorry if this might be an inconvenience, but um….would you mind if I answer this call real quick?”

 

Jenny smiled reassuringly, nodding. “If you need to, then sure go ahead.” She thought of her own family, and how she’d never in a million years would have answered a single call from any of them. Ever. But, she guessed not everyone's situation looked like hers.

 

Giving Jenny one quick grateful glance, Vastra then pressed the button to answer the call and brought her phone up against her ear. “Hello, Lanah? What are you calling me for this time? Is it your dog, did he eat one of your earrings again?” It was hard for Vastra to keep her tone free of any annoyance that she felt at being interrupted in the middle of her meeting with Jenny.

 

“Hello to you too, dear sister. How nice to hear you think I only call if something has happened, it does make me feel so very appreciated.” Lanah mocked, her voice overly happy as she spoke.  

 

The Scottish woman groaned internally, but was also secretly excited to talk to her beloved sister again. Resuming with their naturally well rehearsed banter, Vastra said, “So I’m assuming that your dog is OK then? I still remember how poor Capaldi couldn’t eat for a month because of that stupid diamond earing tearing through his digestive intestines. I swear, your insatiable appetite for fine precious jewelry is going to be the death of him!”

 

“Yes, he is perfectly diamond-free, for your your information. Jesus Christ, that was ONE time! Besides, I do recall you letting your friend feed Billy chocolate last time I let you babysit him!”

 

“Well, do you think that I don’t regret making that mistake,” snapped Vastra in response, before speaking more collectedly, “ _Ahem_ , anyway…..the past is in the past, so I suggest that you just get straight to the point already.”

  


“Fine. I can tell you what I want, and I assure you, I will be much _straighter_ than you.” She paused, letting Vastra realise what she just said, before continuing. “Billy wanted to talk to his favourite aunt, who ironically nearly killed him.”

 

From the sidelines, Jenny watched anxiously as Vastra spoke to her sister on the phone, always ready to come to her help if she looked as though she needed support. At one point, Vastra snapped, the conversation seemingly having turned south, and Jenny was very close to asking if she wanted her to give her an excuse to hang up, but the situation calmed down and Jenny stepped back. Still, as she saw Vastra glance in her direction, she couldn’t help but whisper, ‘Is everything okay?’, worried that Vastra might be caught up in a situation she found uncomfortable.

 

Vastra could only smile lightly at Jenny to indicate that there was nothing to worry about, and proceeded to reply with, “I can’t say that I’m the least bit surprised, since it’s a scientifically proven fact that every family should have a cool lesbian aunt to keep things interesting.”

 

At hearing Vastra openly admit that she was a lesbian, Jenny almost couldn’t hold back a gasp that threatened to escape her lips. Of course, she did have her ideas and suspicions, and she had been desperately hoping that it would be the case, but to actually hear it being confirmed took her completely by surprise.

 

“As long as ‘interesting’ doesn’t mean deadly, I can possibly agree.” Lanah said fondly. “Either way, I’m putting on Billy now. He’s been tugging at my dress for the past half-hour and it's getting a bit annoying.”

 

Immediately after she said that, the line went momentarily silent as Lanah passed on the phone to Billy, and before Vastra could even prepare herself, her ears were suddenly bombarded by the voice of a highly overenthusiastic four year old boy.

 

“Aunty Vasha! Aunty Vasha! It’s me, Billy!” Shouted Billy from the other side of the line without any repercussions whatsoever. “I wanted Mommy to call you because I love the toy racecar you sent me for my birthday! I like to play with it because it’s super fast and it goes zoom zoom and sometimes Capaldi will chase it! When I grow up I will have a real racecar and we will go on awesome adventures together! Maybe I’ll have a flying car that can take us up to the moon!”

 

There was a broad doting smile spread across Vastra’s face as she happily listened to her adorable nephew’s passionate gushing about his new toy racecar. It was then that she fully realized just how much she missed her family back home in Scotland, who she would see only a few times each year for holidays and whatnot. Since she clearly lacked any children of her own, Vastra was able to compensate for it by loving all of her sibling’s children and spoiling them rotten, including Billy. Billy’s rapidly spoken words helped to draw out old distant memories from the very deep recesses of Vastra’s mind, allowing her to relive all those wonderful times that they had together. Vastra was immensely thankful to at least have this one little connection with her family, and she hoped that it would never end.

 

When Billy finally paused to take a breath, Vastra promptly took advantage of it to say, “Ah, yes hello there, Silly Billy, nothing ever makes me happier than getting a call from my most favorite nephew! I’m so glad to hear that your crazy wild imagination still hasn’t changed. It sure seems like you were able to put it to good use while playing with your race car.”

 

“Thank you a lot, Aunty Vasha! I don’t care what Mommy says, you are the greatest, awesomest aunty ever!” Proclaimed Billy zealously, which touched Vastra’s heart in a profoundly meaningful way.

 

From the couch, Jenny kept observing Vastra in curious silence. She’d said she was fine, but it didn’t help Jenny’s worries much. What did, however, was when she saw Vastra breaking into a huge grin, her whole face practically glowing as she listened to someone chatting energetically on the other end. Seeing Vastra so happy and at ease made Jenny happy, too, and she couldn’t help the small smile resting upon her lips. It was wonderful and amazing to see someone so joyful and content and absolutely at ease in a conversation with family. For Vastra, family was clearly people she cared for and  loved, and somehow that made Jenny feel both glad and  also sad, because while it felt blissful watching someone else experiencing it this way, it was not something she would ever have.

 

As soon as Billy was done talking, the line went quiet for a moment, and then the voice of Vastra’s sister picked up once more. “That’s enough Billy, time for us grown-ups to talk again. Thanks for listening to him, Vastra. He’s been going on and on about how he wanted to talk to you all morning, and you know he gets cranky when he wants something.”

 

“Hmmm….well, I do certainly wonder who he got _that_ from,” Vastra mockingly questioned while stroking her chin, a massive smile still plastered onto her face. “It’s really no problem, Lanah, because I find it quite sweet that Billy wanted to call and thank me for his present. Honestly, I was beginning to worry that he had forgotten all about me. So just out of curiosity….how is the rest of the family doing,” Vastra asked carefully as she bit her lip, craving for more information regarding her the status of her family.

 

Most importantly, she needed to know if they had been able to recover from her father’s tragic death due to cancer five years ago, because God knows she definitely hasn’t.

 

After Vastra’s question, there was a short pause on the other end, and she could hear her sister saying something to her son, before she began to reply with, “Well...I guess it's okay overall. Most of us are doing pretty well, some are in a bit of a low period at the moment but hopefully they’ll be feeling better soon. We miss you, though. Honestly, it would be so nice if we could see you a little more often.”

 

A biting sensation of guilt stung within Vastra’s heart upon hearing her sister’s downhearted statement, and she shakily spoke, “You know very well I that want that more than anything…. and I would do so, in a heartbeat, if only my schedule would allow it. It’s just that….it’s hard, you know, going back there….and remembering all those things.” Vastra’s voice was barely above a whisper by the time she finished speaking, a tell-tale sign that her emotions were threatening to overwhelm her.

 

The day that Vastra’s father died was not something she liked to think about often, even going so far as to block it out of her mind completely. His untimely death dealt an enormously heavy blow on everyone in the family, and each of them had their own ways of coping with  the aftermath of that terrible event. Immediately after graduating from vet school, Vastra moved down to London because she simply couldn’t bear to stay in Scotland any longer. Really, she was trying to run away from the past where her father still dwelled while his spirit continued to haunt her in the present. A small part of Vastra always knew that it was selfish and cowardly of her to leave her grieving family behind instead of remaining with them during their darkest hour. She never had much trouble suppressing those echoing doubts in the back of her head until now, as talking to Lanah for the last thirty minutes was causing all of her old, painstakingly hidden grief and regret to resurface again. Vastra’s entire body was trembling at this point, and she could feel herself being dangerously close to bursting out in tears, though Jenny’s presence was the only thing that encouraged Vastra to maintain her composure, because it would be most utterly lame if she randomly started crying in front of her crush. No, there will be enough time to have an emotional breakdown later, but in this current moment she must put on a brave face for Jenny.

 

On the other end of the phone, a deep sigh could be heard, and then Vastra’s sister said,. “I know, Vastra. I’m not accusing you of anything, Little Extra. I’m just saying we miss you, that's all.”

 

Still sitting and waiting for the call to end, Jenny could tell that things were getting tense as Vastra suddenly started shuddering, and she decided that perhaps it would be best if she gave her some time alone.

 

With the efficiency of someone who had their fair share of working in coffee shops, Jenny quickly started gathering the cups and half empty plate of biscuits, piling them up atop each other on the tray that she’d brought with her to the living room.Once she was done, she stood up, taking the tray in her arms and began setting off towards the kitchen. However, as she left, she took one last glance over her shoulder at Vastra, thus neglecting to see where she was going, and tripped on the threshold.Feet hitting against solid wood, Jenny's entire body was sent crashing to the floor, the tray flying out of her hands, porcelain breaking into a million pieces as they landed upon the floor along with Jenny.

 

“Fucking bloody hell!” The swear words slipped past her lips as she tried desperately to readjust her bruised and aching body, swearing even more as she realized how much ruined china there was spread out everywhere. “Fucking shit!”

 

The collective commotion of shattering china and an angrily cursing Cockney woman instantly pulled Vastra away from the phone call, her eyes growing wide with shocked concern at the sight of Jenny’s disastrous wipeout. “Oh dear Lord….are you alright, Jenny?” Blurted Vastra, momentarily forgetting that her sister was also listening on the line.

 

“Jenny? Who are you calling Jenny?!” Lanah hadn’t been aware that someone else was in the room with Vastra, but then something clicked in her mind and she sang,  “Vaaaastra, are you at your _girlfriend's_ house? Someone named Jenny? Why didn’t you tell me! Finally, someone to take care of your sorry, egotistical arse!” Her voice was gleeful and humorous, and Vastra could imagine her smug smile as she spoke.

 

Vastra hissed sharply into the phone in retaliation before abandoning her phone altogether on the sofa as she quickly ran to Jenny’s side. “Jenny, oh my God, are you hurt anywhere? Bloody Christ, there’s a lot of broken china over here! Let me uhh help you uhh…..”

 

It was then that Vastra’s eyes made the mistake of landing on Jenny’s enticing cleavage visibly peeking through her shirt, with only a few inches in between the two of them, and that caused her to swallow hard as her entire bodily system effectively malfunctioned.

 

“Excuse me,” Jenny said, slightly embarrassed as she caught on to Vastra’s sideway glance down at her cleavage. “Can you please help me up  a little? I’d really like to get away from this spot without cutting  my hands and feet on all this china.”

 

“Huh? Oh, yes….the china, of course….sorry,” Vastra rapidly blinked, summoning all of her willpower in order to tear her gaze away from Jenny’s bosom, and generously stretched out her hand for Jenny to take. There was no way to prevent the deep embarrassment that she felt at being caught ogling by the other woman from exploding into varying shades of red across her face. “Pray tell, how in the world did this happen anyway?”

 

At this, Jenny blushed and immediately became red in the face, awkwardly trying to form a coherent reply that wouldn't directly reveal she’d been listening in on the phone call. “I...well, you seemed a little upset so I thought I’d….I’d take out the dishes and give you some time to yourself. But then I just…..I looked back at you as I left and hit the threshold.” Finishing her explanation, Jenny held tightly onto Vastra’s offered hand  as she ungracefully jumped over the broken porcelain, landing on the floor next to Vastra.

 

As soon as she did that, Vastra instinctively scooted a few inches away from Jenny, in an attempt to prevent herself from getting too lightheaded while in Jenny’s intoxicating presence. She could have sworn that that she felt an invisible electricity crackling in the air between their hands as she hastily retracted her own, just like when they first met at the clinic. A faint, yet hopeful voice in the back of Vastra’s mind told her that it might be a sign from the universe, that perhaps she might actually have a chance with Jenny who was totally far out of her league. Sobering up again, Vastra immediately dismissed  those thoughts as mere wishful thinking, and tilted her head slightly aside while her eyes fixed themselves upon Jenny with the suspicion that she had been eavesdropping on her private conversation. Not that Vastra could hardly hold her at fault, of course.

 

So without any hint of accusation in her tone, and a gentle smile forming on her lips, Vastra responded with, “You really ought to be more careful, Miss Flint. Although, I can honestly say that this isn’t the very first time somebody had an accident due to my rather distracting tattoos.” Her gaze then flicked over to all the fractured pieces of china, causing her expression  to grimace as she spoke, “I’m awfully sorry about your china….I truly am. Will you allow me to assist you in cleaning up this mess? It’s the least I can do, after you’ve shown me such a generous amount to hospitality.”

 

Upon hearing her first remark, Jenny blushed even more, the redness on her cheeks deepening. As she came to the second part of the sentence, Jenny felt so embarrassed and uncomfortable that she wanted nothing more than for Vastra to leave, to take her things and walk away and never come back so that maybe Jenny could just forget her and move on. Her heart obviously disagreed, however and instead of telling her to go, she found herself nodding in acceptance to her offer. “Yes, please, hat would be very welcomed.” She said, biting her lip hard at how much of an idiot she must look like, and quickly started gathering shards, just to have something - anything - to do.

 

Vastra’s brows furrowed in confusion, as something about what Jenny said felt kind of.... _forced_ to her, but it wasn’t long before she, too, dropped down onto her knees and began to carefully collect the sharp fragments into her hand. There was only a cold and empty silence as the two of them continued to clear the floor of broken china for what seemed like an entire eternity, each trying desperately to avoid looking at the other. Then by accident, while they were both too deeply caught up within their own contemplation, their hands touched yet again on the last piece of china. That simple incident served as a catalyst that sent powerful trails of sparks burning up the length of their arms until they ultimately reached their hearts and set them aflame with the intensity of a thousand blazing suns. Neither Jenny nor Vastra could comprehend why it must always happen this way, but at the same time it was also getting increasingly more difficult for them to ignore their passionate mutual attraction to each other. Completely aware of all the risks that came with it, both Jenny and Vastra simultaneously lifted their heads so that their eyes became firmly locked, bright blue staring into rich brown.  Every single trace of the outside world gradually faded away until nothing else remained except for the two of them, utterly alone with the deafening sound of their seismic heartbeats. Vastra subconsciously licked her lips and stole a tentatively quick glimpse of Jenny’s perfectly kissable mouth, a sudden erotic shiver shooting up her spine when she noticed Jenny mirroring her actions as well. There was a distinctly apparent change among the atmosphere that surrounded them, filling it to the very brim with a heavy and undeniable sexual tension which radiated off of Jenny and Vastra themselves. Slowly, their faces started moving forward inch by inch in order to close the gap between them, though neither was fully capable of registering it, as if there was some unseen mystical power that was pulling them together, whether they knew it or not.

 

Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, Vastra’s ears perked up to an all too familiar voice that started shouting from the sofa. “Vastra? Extra, where the hell did you go?! Don't tell me you seriously dropped the phone without hanging up to go get some from that girl of yours!” Lanah called out from the phone speaker, utter amusement and irritation mixing within her tone.

 

Thus, the mysterious trance that was holding Vastra and Jenny captive had been broken. They blinked rather absentmindedly, as if just waking up from a long slumber, both entirely unsure about what was happening in that particular moment. Then witnessing that their hands were still in the same position, they immediately separated them with impossibly lightning quick reflexes, the final china piece being claimed by Vastra. Nonetheless, the overwhelming heat of the carnal fire that had consumed them earlier refused to go away, but continued to rage within them ever so strongly. Their eyes strictly fixated onto the floor, neither of them could find any words to say, for fear of escalating the already stressful  situation even more. Therefore, they decided to simply keep their mouths shut, and wordlessly rose up from the floor before walking over to the trashcan in Jenny’s kitchen where they cautiously disposed all of the damaged china fragments.

 

Once that was taken care of, Vastra immediately sprinted back into the living room to pick up her phone, and resumed the call saying, “ _Ha ha ha_ ….very funny, Lanah. If you really must know, I’m with a _client_ right now, another lizard case as you can probably guess. So I would highly appreciate it if you can kindly stop spouting shit out of your ass hole, and let me do my _job_.” Vastra was definitely in no mood to tolerate her older sister’s  inappropriate remarks, but she also  knew that Lanah was fully capable of enduring her verbal abuses after all those years.

 

“Well, excuse me! You're not exactly notoriously  known for going out of your way to visit patients in their homes, especially not on weekends! On the other hand, what you are notoriously known for is being _insanely, ridiculously, EXTRA gay!_ But whatever, blame a woman for trying  to make some logical conclusions, it’s fine I don’t care. Either way, I don't have time to stay talking to you much longer so I'm hanging up now. Goodbye, Vastra!” Immediately, the line went dead as Lanah hung up.

 

Inwardly relieved that the call was finally over with, Vastra sighed deeply as she placed her phone back into her pocket.

 

“Hey, Vastra. Are you...are you okay?” Carefully, Jenny approached Vastra, putting a hand on her arm. It was quite obvious that the lengthy phone call had drained Vastra, and she wanted to make sure that she was okay. “I’m here for you if...if you need to talk.”

 

It required every bit of Vastra’s willpower not to jump off the sofa when she felt Jenny’s delicate hand on her arm. Eventually turning around to face Jenny directly, Vastra tried  to act like nothing was wrong as she said, “Thank you, Je--Miss Flint-- but I assure you, everything is perfectly well with me. It’s just that, my sister….she enjoys pushing my buttons way too much sometimes.” Vastra chuckled nervously, a wry smile gracing her countenance. “Yes, she can often  be a royal pain in the neck, but I still love her anyway.”

 

Vastra had intentionally stopped herself from addressing Jenny by her first name, because the phone call with Lanah made her self-conscious of  the fact that she was getting a little too friendly with Jenny, and that she needed to reestablish some kind of professional formality asap.

 

While Jenny felt a bit hurt that Vastra refused to use her first name, she kept smiling peacefully, squeezing Vastras arm. “I understand. You are very lucky to have people who do care for you, even if they sometimes drive you crazy. They still love you.” Her smile felt  less real with every passing second  because seeing the way Vastra and her family worked, made Jenny’s heart ache. She badly longed to have a life and a family like that herself, too, but it was and always will be an unreachable dream, and she knew that. It had never been a possibility. “A lot of people have it much  worse.”

 

Vastra was able to detect a trace of bitter melancholy in Jenny’s tone, which led her to gently lay her hand on Jenny’s knee and asked, “Pardon me if this sounds intrusive, but I’m under the impression that perhaps you don’t get along with your family?”

 

That was an extremely risky move on Vastra’s part and she mentally kicked herself for prying into the personal life of this woman who she barely even knows. On the other hand, however, Jenny seemed to be so sad and miserable that Vastra just couldn’t help giving her heart out to her in sympathy. There was really nothing that she could do except waiting anxiously with bated breath for Jenny’s response

 

Upon hearing Vastra’s inquiry, Jenny almost dissolved straight into tears. Her arms wrapped tightly around her own shivering body and she nodded. “My mom is dead. My siblings are God knows where, I haven't heard from any of them in years, and my dad would probably try to kill me if I ever got close to him again.” At the end she was openly sobbing, unable to keep it all back as it came rushing out against her will, hot tears splattered on her cheeks. “There is not a single person who cares about me. I don't have anyone who I can truly call ‘my family’ in this world” She knew it sounded pathetic and attention  seeking from her side, but Jenny couldn’t help it. Once the dam had been breached, the flood of emotions could not be stopped no matter how hard she tried.

 

_Oh dear….Oh God….Why is this happening….I shouldn’t have done that….Bloody hell I am such a fucking idiot!_

 

Needless to say, Vastra was in full blown panic mode as she realized that she had unwittingly opened Pandora’s box. It’s rather obvious that she has brought this upon herself, because she just had to cross the line and make Jenny talk about a severely sensitive topic instead of minding her own damn business. So as a result of that, Vastra was now absolutely stuck in a most awkward situation with Jenny literally crying an entire river beside her, and there seemed to be nothing she could do to fix it. The real truth is that Vastra has always been the worst at trying to comfort people, especially when they are leaking an excessive amount of salty liquid out of their eyeballs, and would be more likely to distance herself away from them. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that her heart wasn’t actually breaking into a million pieces with every single choking sob that escaped from Jenny’s lips before falling on her ears. Vastra seriously hated seeing Jenny in so much pain and suffering, which she had ultimately concluded as somehow being caused by Jenny’s family. It was strikingly clear to Vastra that Jenny was carrying a lot of heavy, unresolved emotional baggage, and she very desperately wanted to help Jenny in any way she can, but her whole body was currently in a state of complete shock. Vastra was immensely determined to do at least something--anything--and began summoning  all of her energy in order to regain her physical  functionality.

 

Miraculously, Vastra’s efforts soon paid off as she was then able to slowly stretch her arm out towards Jenny and started to lightly pat her on the shoulder.

 

“Err there, there, Miss Flint….everything is going to be alright,”Vastra reassured fumblingly, wincing at how weak that sounded while trying to wrack her brain for more things to say. When she couldn’t find anything that she considered to be adequate enough, Vastra merely sighed and said, “Oh, who am I bloody kidding? Nothing is right about this whatsoever, and it’s all my damn fault! It was a stupid mistake on my part to just drop that question onto you out of nowhere. I really should have stayed in my lane. God, I’m such a fucking daft, insensitive fool!” There was a prolonged pause as Vastra suddenly fell silent, guilt and remorse weighing down heavily against her heart like lead. “I am so, so terribly sorry, Miss Flint….I now realize that it was inexcusable of me to  overstepped my boundaries….and I completely understand if you want me to leave.”

 

Somehow, the thought of Vastra leaving, of Jenny having chased her away because she could not keep her damn mouth shut about things she knew no one cared about, felt even worse to Jenny than the agonizing torment of her mortal soul. Her stomach twisted,and even more tears came pouring down her face, and before she knew what she was doing, she wrapped her arms tightly around Vastra, hugging her and sobbing into her firmly solid chest. “No, please don’t go….I’m...I’m sorry. I...I know I shouldn’t….I’m sorry for being like this.” There was not much else that Jenny could say, still shamelessly clinging onto Vastra for dear life  and crying her eyes out.

 

Vastra was caught completely by surprise when the woman of her dreams suddenly threw herself at her, for lack of a better term, and was refusing to let her go anytime soon. While Vastra was utterly afraid that she might mess things up even more if she made just one wrong move, she also felt a sort of newfound maternal instinct kicking into her system as she simply couldn’t bear to hear Jenny apologizing for something that wasn’t her fault. Eventually deciding to throw all caution into the wind, Vastra carefully encircled her own arms around Jenny’s small trembling frame, propriety be damned! She then proceeded to rub soothing circles upon Jenny’s back, while quietly whispering sweet words of comfort into her ear, because God knows the poor girl definitely deserved nothing less than to be treated with utmost compassion and kindness as she continued to thoroughly soak Vastra’s shirt with her tears of anguish. They remained together in that position for an indefinite amount of time, which didn’t really bother Vastra one bit because she was perfectly willing to wait for as long as Jenny needed.

 

Finally, Jenny’s tears  started to abate after she had  all but cried herself dry, embarrassment quickly claiming her and putting her cheeks on fire as she separated from Vastra, scooting to the other end of the sofa and giving her some extra space after having clung to her shamelessly for what felt like hours. Carefully, she dabbed  the edge of her tank top against her cheeks, trying to remove the leftover tears and attempting  a wobbly smile. “Sorry.” She said, her voice not quite as steady as she’d like it to be. “I don't talk about my family often, for obvious reasons. I prefer to just bury it all in the back of my head and forget.” She gave a shallow laughter, but it was lifeless and not particularly funny and she decided to just shut up instead.

 

Vastra would have pouted in disappointment when Jenny abruptly broke their tight embrace, and hastily retreated back to the other side of the couch, but luckily she was able to school her features into appearing strictly normal. Already did she missed the warm weight of Jenny’s body pressed against her own and the special intimacy of having her arms wrapped around the petite woman; It was as if a large piece of her heart had been taken away along with Jenny, which left  her feeling utterly hollow and incomplete.

 

Vastra’s eyes simply couldn’t resist dropping down to look at the exposed skin on Jenny’s stomach as she lifted up the fringe of her tank top, but she still made sure to instantly revert her gaze so that she wouldn’t be caught like last time.

 

“It would seem that is much easier said than done, I’m afraid,” replied Vastra wistfully, returning with a rather strained smile of her own. She could sense that the atmosphere of the room has changed drastically yet again, and she didn’t like the way it somehow made all of her hair stand up on end. There was a tense pause before she continued to speak, “That was quite an impressive emotional catharsis you had, Miss Flint. How are you feeling now?”

 

Wincing a little at the thought if what she had just done, Jenny nodded. “A bit better, thanks. Actually, a lot better. Don’t think I’ve told anyone that much about my family since I was a teenager. Hope it wasn't too embarrassing for you.” She purposely looked away from Vastra as she said the last part, but she didn’t feel quite as ashamed as earlier.

 

A wave of regret washed over Vastra when she saw Jenny did that, as she had to fight the persistent urge  to grab Jenny’s face and force her to look directly at her. “Believe me, Miss Flint, I did not find it to be the least bit embarrassing….as long as it doesn’t bother  you to disclose the private details of your life to a foolish, meddlesome stranger, of course, “Vastra responded reassuringly, while also including a sharp jab at herself for starting this in the first place.

 

Jenny frowned a little at this, and quickly shook her head. “You’re not a meddlesome stranger. You're someone I trust.” She said sincerely, looking up at Vastra, their eyes meeting. “Besides, maybe it isn't so healthy to hide your problems and wish they’ll go away for most of your adult life. It certainly doesn't seem to have done me any good.” She frowned again, uncertain. She thought  of the phone call with Vastra and her sister she listened in on, and knew that Vastra was trying to forget things as well.

 

“Mmmm well, I actually have several people in mine who would love to disagree with you on that,” Vastra responded in a more lighthearted tone, desperately attempting to decrease the negative aura that was surrounding them. Then thoughtfully stroking her chin out of habit, she asked, “Have you ever considered keeping a diary or journal, Miss Flint? You are absolutely right about it not being healthy to permanently suppress your feelings, but perhaps it would be helpful for you to write them down somewhere? Get them off of your chest?”

 

Oh, there was actually so much more that Vastra wanted to get off Jenny’s chest.

 

Vastra could still remember all the diaries she had kept when she was younger, and the freedom that they gave her to express herself without any restrictions within those countless blank pages.

 

Jenny giggled. She didn’t quite know why, but she definitely giggled. “That might have been a good idea.” She admitted slowly, the ‘but’ resting at the tip of her tongue. “But I’m rather daft. Never really thought I was very good with words, and reading,and writing. I can, of course, especially if I take lots of time like I do at work, but it's a slow process. I really don't think it’d be helpful, in my case..” She gave Vastra a sheepish look, feeling a little mean for turning down her advice. She did like the idea, but it didn’t feel quite right for her.

 

Vastra only nodded understandably, an objectively cordial smile plastered on her face as she said, “Ah, yes, I should have known that it wouldn’t necessarily work for everybody. It was just a suggestion, however, and there’s nothing that says you have to abide by it.” Biting her lip, Vastra lowered her gaze down to the floor, as she was struggling to contain this one particular question that’s been bugging her brain during the past hour. That proved to be too difficult though, and Vastra couldn’t stop her mouth from suddenly uttering, “Why do you think that your father is going to kill you?”

 

Ughh, what is fucking wrong with you?! When will you ever learn from your mistakes, for God’s sake! Vastra was very angry at herself for lacking better self-control, and  blurting out yet another absurdly intrusive question. Although she was genuinely concerned and intrigued when Jenny mentioned something about her father killing her, Vastra had vowed to try her damn hardest not to let it escape from the mental confines of her mind. Therefore, having totally failed in that, Vastra immediately braced herself in anticipation for what she thought would be a repeat of Jenny’s earlier reaction.

 

“Oh” It was the first thing that came to mind as Jenny heard Vastra’s question, a  simple ‘oh’ of surprise. Surprise that Vastra had actually noticed her quite offhanded comment about her father, and surprise that Vastra cared  to investigate it further. As the surprise passed, Jenny felt as though there was not much left to say at all. Had she been asked earlier she might have cried, or screamed or even run for it, but now, she felt as stoic and gray as a stone, entirely void of all emotional attachment to the question. “Well, my father, he’s...he doesn't like people who don't obey the Bible. Who, for example, are attracted to the same sex. It's a sin and I...well...I’m a sinner. He caught me kissing a girl and after that I didn't have much of a choice. If they're sinners, killing one's child is entirely justified.” It was honestly unbelieveable that , Vastra had managed squeezed out yet another thing Jenny never talked about. It wasn’t that she was ashamed that her family for being extremely conservative, but it felt wrong to mention it when she herself couldn’t fill their standards of decency.

 

At first, there appeared to be no hint of a visible reaction from Vastra, because she had been struck absolutely speechless after listening to Jenny’s heartbreaking testimony. It was the same old story that she had heard from many other people in the LGBT social circles that she usually hung around, but this time with Jenny it’s somehow different because within seconds,  a mighty and overwhelming inferno of righteous fury was ignited in Vastra. While she herself was fortunate enough to come out to a remarkably supportive family, just the thought of there being parents who, for some bullshit reason or another, simply cannot accept the fact that their children love the same gender, and would even go so far as to kill them, never failed to make Vastra’s blood boil hotly with anger. The way Jenny had described her father, how he had abused her solely for her sexual orientation sounded utterly barbaric to Vastra, as she found herself becoming increasingly protective of Jenny. She also imagined what it would be like to run down that bloody homophobic bastard with her motorcycle as a rightful punishment for all the damage he had inflicted against Jenny. No doubt she would have derived a most immense amount of satisfaction from it.

 

Vastra soon pulled herself out of her revenge fantasies, and impulsively reached over to hold Jenny's hand in hers, before speaking bluntly, “No, don’t you ever berate yourself as a sinner like that again! I won’t stand for it! Forget everything that your asshole father said because you are definitely not a sinner! You, Miss Flint, are such a kind, beautiful, intelligent, honest, diligent, strong, and overall extraordinary individual as I have come to known throughout the course of my visit here. Your sexual preference for the fairer sex should not negate all of these positive qualities, nor should you be ashamed of being the way you are. So if your despicable bigot of a father refuse to understand that, then you might as well consider him dead to you, because I would bury him twenty feet underground if given the chance.” Vastra paused to catch her breath, her serious demeanor melting away to offer Jenny a softly compassionate smile as she concluded  with, “Please trust me when I say,  that even though your family may have forsaken you, I myself will always believe in you no matter what. You are worth so much more than you realize, Jenny Flint.”

 

The doubtless sincerity of Vastra’s words seemed to drip thick from her lips like luscious honey, which Jenny desperately longed to taste.

 

Jenny was entirely _floored._

 

The effort of Vastra to show her love and appreciation and try to make up for the heaviness of her past had her stunned, shocked and overwhelmed with pure  joy at the tremendous amount of care that Vastra dedicated to her. Even when young and still with a family, she hadn’t been very noticeable. A middle child among eight - too many mouths to be fed and too many expenses to be payed in the eyes of her parents - Jenny had been used to  nearly not existing in the eyes of most. She was just another one, another student at the same school as four siblings before her and another pair of shoes that needed replacing when her father hadn’t had a job for weeks. Another young woman with lacking education searching for any job she could get in an effort to survive. The kind of care and kindness and love Vastra offered was something totally new. With Vastra, Jenny felt like the star of a play standing on a stage, everyone’s eyes focused solely on her. It made her heart soar and she lit up like a christmas tree at the thought.

 

“Thank  you. Really, thank you. I...there has never been anyone showing me this much attention before, if I am to be honest. As a middle kid among eight, I….I’ve always been used to being forgotten. Well, until I do something wrong, that is, but that’s not the kind of attention you want.” She smiled, her broadest and happiest. “Thanks for caring, Vastra. For making me feel so very appreciated. You are special, too, and I’m so happy that I met you.”

 

Vastra couldn’t bring herself to say anything, because there was no words that could adequately describe Jenny’s radiant beauty in that moment when she is smiling and gay. It was a thrilling sensation for Vastra to be the one who could turn Jenny’s entire perspective around and help her to see the light that shines within her. There was truly nothing that she desired more than for Jenny to find the courage to love herself as perfect as she already was. She didn’t care about Jenny’s shitty childhood or her terrible abusive father, because none of that mattered anymore as she was determined to guide Jenny in moving forward  from her unhappy past. Vastra’s heart was practically overflowing with pure, unconditional love towards Jenny, and even though it seemed highly unlikely that she would ever share her same romantic feelings, Vastra will never stop wanting the best of everything for Jenny.

 

Once she was able to recover her tongue again, Vastra gently squeezed Jenny’s hand and began to say, “Well, who else is going to to care for you if I don’’t? Really, Jenny, I promise that you will have a family of your own someday, a new and even better one. You already have Greeny….and I….I lo-”

 

Just as vastra was about to utter some of the most important words in her entire life, the sound of police sirens interrupted her, the noise coming from the kitchen and making itself heard all the way to the living room.

 

As if on cue, Jenny jumped up from her seat and ran off to the kitchen. After a while, the noise died out and she came back into the living room, her phone pressed to her ear, urgently talking to someone.

 

Glancing at Vastra, she whispered. “It is from work.” Before going back to talking to the person on the other end. “You know I don't have weekend shifts this month, Jack! And yes, I am in the middle of something, too! So I’m not going to just give it up unless...wait, seriously? Oh my god! Why didn’t you say so? I’ll be there soon, bye.” Jenny hung up the phone, stress and mild panic clear on her face.

 

Whatever that was said in the conversation between that person and Jenny made Vastra considerably concerned, but also slightly piqued her curiosity.

 

“Jenny, you don’t look so well….what’s wrong? Who was that calling you?” Inquired Vastra eagerly, as she began to stand up with the intention of walking over to Jenny.

  


Glancing over at Vastra, and almost looking as though she just noticed she was there, Jenny frowned. “That was Jack, from work. He’s in charge of arranging all of our schedules and...he needs me to come in and work extra today. A sort of...thing happened and they need everyone they can get as soon as possible.”

 

Vastra arched an inquisitive eyebrow at that and said, “Oh….yes, I figured that it must be something serious if Scotland Yard is calling you on your day off.” She awkwardly fidgeted  in her seat, uncertain on what to do next. “Anyway….I would seem that I’ve overstayed my welcome in your home. Perhaps you’d like me to leave now, so that you can get ready for work?”

 

An unspoken question hung in the air as Vastra and Jenny merely gazed at each other from across the room. Vastra really didn’t want to leave Jenny, who she’d fallen so incredibly hard for, or the enchantingly serene paradise consisting of just the two of them inside her apartment together. Being with Jenny had made her forget  that all good things must come to an end eventually, and that she was completely powerless to prevent it.

 

Jenny glanced between the phone still in her hand and Vastra, a slightly guilty look on her face. She didn't want this to end, but she felt as though she didn’t have a choice. It was extremely urgent, and she had promised Jack to come as soon as possible. “Look, I’m really sorry to have to throw you out like this, but there's sort of a crisis going on, and I really  need to get changed and get there! But we can still  see each other at another time, yes?” Jenny smiled, nearly bursting at the seams with hopefulness.

 

Afraid that her voice might crack if she gave a verbal response, Vastra simply opted for a wry, bittersweet smile and nodded in understanding. She wordlessly retrieved her leather jacket to put it back on, hiding away her glorious arm tattoos from the view of mortal eyes once again. She then stood up before proceeding to swiftly walk towards the door, and Jenny followed suit to see her out. Jenny reached the door first and politely held it open for Vastra to go through. The Scottish woman already had one foot out the doorway when she suddenly paused, standing there like a statue as she contemplated something.

 

Then catching Jenny off guard, Vastra turned around and used one hand to cradle Jenny’s chin as she leaned over to plant a softly chaste kiss atop her forehead. “Ceòthach mhadainn dh'fhaodadh a bhith latha soilleir….that’s Scottish for, ‘a misty morning may become a clear day’,” whispered Vastra as she slowly pulled away, capturing Jenny’s eyes with her own, which were full of undisclosed desires and passion. “Farewell, dear Jenny Flint, and thank you for a most splendidly memorable afternoon.”

 

Vastra allowed her hand to linger underneath Jenny’s chin in a rather seductive manner for several more tantalizing moments, before she abruptly spun around on her heel and marched right out of the apartment without so much as a backwards glance.

 

Jenny stood where Vastra left her, frozen in place, her eyes fixed on  the doorway through which the unbelievably remarkable woman had just departed. Slowly, her eyes closed, her hand travelling all the way to her forehead and touching the spot where Vastra’s lips had touched it. Before her mind’s eye, Jenny could see Vastra’s beautiful lips resting on her pale skin, cool and slightly moist against her heated skin. She imagined those sweet lips traveling down her body and touching all of her. She wished to have her own lips on Vastra’s body, too, and though she knew it would probably never come true she couldn’t help but let herself get caught up in that dream for a while. A pleasant tingly warmth spread throughout her body and she smiled.

 

When she opened her eyes again, Jenny realized that she had spent all too much time dreaming about the most lovely scenarios with Vastra’s beautiful lips grazing her skin and her own lips kissing Vastra’s perfect face, and she quickly decided that she needed to get moving. The smile, however stayed on her face, just as the warm feeling in her chest remained there, and she kept the fantasies of her and Vastra and all that she could be with that gorgeous woman in the back of her mind for her to continue enjoying while she got dressed for work.

 

_A misty morning may indeed become a clear day._

 

The golden sun hung high in the sky when Vastra emerged from the apartment complex, casting its far reaching rays upon her entire body as a kind of purifying blessing. She took several steps outside until she was approximately three feet away from the building, and only then did she finally permit herself to look back up at Jenny’s window. Vastra couldn’t resist reminiscing about the countless blissful hours that she had spent with Jenny; What had originally started as a simple veterinarian house visit to examine a client’s pet lizard, somehow gradually turned into one hell of a roller coaster ride with its numerous dramatic up and down points. Indeed, it was quite a perplexing paradox, because while Vastra found it considerably difficult to be confined in the same general area as Jenny due to her severe infatuation with the girl, she was also able to genuinely enjoy Jenny’s hospitable company nonetheless. Vastra thanked God that she was fortunate enough to bask in the magnificent aura of Jenny’s divine presence, witness her uniquely striking beauty up close with her own eyes, and engage in sociable conversation with Jenny as if they were old friends, rather than formal strangers. By the end of her tenure in Jenny’s home, Vastra truly felt like the two of them have learned so much about each other after sharing very intimate things from the deepest bottom of their souls, which helped them to form an even stronger and more meaningful connection than ever before. Never in her life did Vastra predict that she would be able to fully open herself to someone, or that a single person could have such a profound impact on her heart. Out of all the people in the world, Jenny was like a precious diamond among the rough, a cool oasis in the middle of a desert, a miraculous breeze of fresh air flowing into her lungs. Nobody else was even remotely worthy of being compared to Jenny, whose extraordinary celestial status uplifted her high above the rest of mankind in Vastra’s eyes.Everything that happened in the apartment served to confirm Vastra’s underlying belief that the feelings she harbored for Jenny weren’t just a mere crush, but undeniably true and honest love that consumed her entire being. Whether Jenny would ever reciprocate her romantic inclinations was a whole different matter, however, and there seemed to be little that Vastra could  do to soothe the unbearable pain of falling for a perfect girl who she can never have. At least she could still find slight comfort in the fact that she actually got to hold Jenny in her arms, and earned  her invaluable trust as a friend, which she concluded was better than nothing. Vastra’s mind continued to wander further as she remembered how conflicted she had been at the beginning, trying to decide between bravery and cowardice when Jenny first asked her to come over. Ultimately, Vastra was glad that she chose to follow her heart, because it had led her to the possibility of obtaining something much greater with Jenny.

 

Finally pulling herself out of her inner musings, Vastra glanced down to look at her watch.

 

The time was just nearing 12 PM.

 

Therefore, the day was still young, leaving plenty of room for an impromptu Sunday adventure. A delighted smile unconsciously spread across Vastra’s face, as she stuffed her hands into her pockets and leisurely walked the rest of the way towards her motorcycle. Once clad in her protective helmet and goggles, Vastra didn’t hesitate to rev up the motorcycle before it launched itself roaring down the road at maximum hyperspeed.

 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The last glorious chapter of my and Yolo1882 glorious story!
> 
> The plan is that this will be followed by a series of oneshots, one day, but until then, enjoy the third and final chapter

It’s an early morning as Jenny got in her car and drove to work. The sky is filled with dark, ominous rain clouds dropping a steadily increasing stream of irritable, ice cold water droplets onto the people below. The temperature, which had been quite warm and friendly earlier, has decided to match the mood of the clouds and have dropped several degrees overnight. If Jenny  had a choice, she would most definitely have chosen to stay in bed and sleep the day away. Unfortunately, it was not an option - cops never get a day off, even when the weather is horrible - and therefor she had no choice, but to continue on her way.

 

Glancing at the generic Scottish plaid scarf lying in the passenger's seat as she took off to the left, Jenny thought back to that Sunday morning when Vastra the veterinarian had visited her at home to ‘check on Greeny’ - a thin cover up for Jenny’s pathetic need and desperate thirst to meet the extremely attractive veterinarian once again. And it wasn't as though she had been disappointed, either, for Vastra had been more than happy to meet up with her.

 

She had arrived at Jenny’s place on a goddamn motorcycle, dressed in a smooth leather jacket that made Jenny feel warmer in certain areas  just thinking about it, and under which she had hid the most amazing tattoos Jenny had ever seen. Jenny had almost fainted dead when Vastra then went on to show her a picture of her with a naked upper body, her huge, elaborate back tattoo on display for only her to see. 

 

And the best of all had been the way Vastra was  _ looking _ at her, deep sparkling blue eyes meeting hers and causing her to get utterly lost in them as though there was no tomorrow, and nothing else but those brilliant eyes seemed to matter at all.

 

Unfortunately, the wonderful meeting which had appeared capable of dragging on for hours, as none of them really wanted to leave, had been so rudely interrupted. Well, it was an important emergency because Scotland Yard suddenly decided that they didn't have enough officers working and had called Jenny - effectively putting a stop to the  _ date-not-date  _ that she and Vastra had been enjoying.

 

Likewise, it was the sound of a car honking its horn that suddenly brought Jenny out of her daydreaming, and she was forced to hit the brakes as hard as possible as she somehow found herself heading right into an  intersection, completely unaware of what she was doing.

 

Swearing, Jenny grabbed the wheel as tightly as she could, trying to get back in control as she took off towards her destination. Instead of heading straight to Scotland Yard as she would most mornings, she was heading to the clinic where Vastra worked to drop off the forgotten plaid scarf and a - _ completely platonic _ \- bouquet of ‘thank you’ flowers. Thankfully, the rest of the car trip went without a hitch, and after fighting to keep  the daydreams at bay and cursing some more for good measure, she arrived at the Tardis Animal Clinic, stepping out of the car and grabbing the necessary items, preparing to go inside.

 

Walking into the waiting room, Jenny was immediately greeted by Clara and John, who were standing at the receptionist desk and talking loudly among themselves, as it would seem to be their natural behaviour.

 

“Yeah, my date with Danny went great. He was uhh....”Clara, the short brunette receptionist, stopped talking mid-sentence when she heard Jenny coming in through the door. Not recognizing Jenny in her uniform at first, Clara’s brows became scrunched in confusion and she said, “Um, hello? Is there something I can help you with, officer…..wait, Jenny? Is that you?”

 

Blushing, Jenny nodded her head sharply. She had not thought of the fact that, since she was going to work, she was dressed in uniform, but Clara’s comment suddenly made her acutely aware of the fact.

 

“Ah, um, yes. It is me. I...I was just hoping that Vastra would be here?” She tried desperately to sound cool and collected, but knew ultimately it was most likely not how she came across, especially not as her own stomach did an extra backflip just mentioning Vastra’s name.

 

“Well, then, aren't you a sight for sore eyes,”complimented Clara who leaned forward to rest her elbows upon the receptionist desk, and cradled her chin within her hands. Her admiring eyes raked up and down Jenny’s smartly practical attire from under her low fluttering lashes. “Looking rather sharp there,  _ Officer _ Jenny. God, Vastra would sure love to see this, but unfortunately she's not here yet.”

 

Clara cast a quick glance at John, the other veterinarian with the ridiculously floppy hair and a penchant for bow ties, who nodded in confirmation at her statement.

 

“Unfortunately, Vastra is really not here.” He smiled cheekily, fiddling with something behind his back before suddenly pulling out a smart phone, and snapping a photo of Jenny before she could react. “However, it is never a wrong moment for some blackmailing material.”

 

Blinking rapidly to clear her vision, Jenny was confused and not quite sure what just happened. Still, she smiled half-heartedly, her tone a bit uncertain when she said, “I suppose...but, uh, I was meaning to leave some things for Vastra so….can I leave them with you guys instead?” She smiled sheepishly, again, and felt a bad feeling in her guts as she was quite certain Vastra was not going to be happy with the so called ‘blackmail material’ that John had gotten hold of.

 

That seemed to pique Clara’s interest, who hummed curiously, “Hmmm, that would really depend on what sort of things you’re planning on leaving for Vastra.”

 

“Yes, exactly. It is not as though we can’t protect big packages or boxes of things, and guarantee they’ll get to Vastra unop...uh, unharmed. Not when Strax is around.” John smile innocently, playing with his hair that was hanging down over his eyes.

 

Jenny gave him and Clara a suspicious look, but finally sighed and said, “She left her scarf at my apartment on Sunday, and I also got some flowers as a thank you…..for everything she’s done to help Greeny. Can you please give these to Vastra?”

 

Both John and Clara simultaneously gasped, looking at each other before suddenly turning their attention back onto Jenny with shocked expressions on their faces.

 

“Vastra McIntosh....left  _ her _ scarf, the one that her mother made….at  _ your _ apartment?” Exclaimed Clara in utter disbelief, knowing that Vastra's scarf was something truly sacred to her.

 

“She never leaves it anywhere!” The Doctor butted in, feeling it necessary to point out the obvious facts that Clara had already stated. After all, it was not like Vastra to be so careless as to forget her scarf at someone's home.

 

Jenny smirked, a wicked idea suddenly lighting in her mind, and she fought hard to stifle a bout of laughter. Trying to look as neutrally innocent as possible, she spoke,“Yes, she  _ accidentally _ left it at my apartment after she had to  _ remove _ it...and some other clothes. Too many layers is not really necessary for a visit like the one she had with me.” She even winked to emphasize the genuinity of her testimony.

 

Clara’s hand instantly flew to her mouth to muffle another loud gasp, while John’s face became impossibly bright red and he had to grip onto the edge of the desk, lest he should outright faint. The revelation that Jenny had just described struck them  _ hard _ like a runaway train; Was she trying to mess with them, or is she actually telling the truth? If that was the case, then Vastra certainly didn't say anything about it when the three of them met up together at a club for drinks on Sunday night. Despite all their constant merciless teasing of Vastra, this was simply too much information for them to handle.

 

“Jesus Christ….Oh my God,” were the only words that Clara was able to produce in her bewildered state.

 

John, still tomato red in the face, stayed speechless and said nothing. There was simply no words for him to express the mortification and embarrassment he was experiencing over the mere idea of what Jenny might have been doing with Vastra. Vastra was his  _ friend _ , for God’s sake, and that definitely was  _ not _ an image he wanted to get stuck inside his head.

 

Jenny, on the other hand, kept smiling pleasantly, very carefully measuring her next words. “What? I haven't said anything  _ wrong _ , have I?” Jenny felt extremely amused, but didn't want to let it on. She was playing this game until the end. “Anyway, can you take the scarf and flowers and give them to her?”

 

Surprisingly enough, it was John who replied to that after finally recovering his voice. 

 

“Just...just,”John coughed awkwardly, gesturing at the entranceway located on the left side of the room, “Just leave them in Vastra’s office, yes? I'm sure she will appreciate to know that you've returned her scarf, and brought her a little gift.”

 

Jenny nodded thankfully, giving them a small bow of her head before walking off towards her destination. Luckily, she remembered the way to Vastra’s office on her own, and did not have to ask for directions or for either John, or Clara to accompany her, which would have been very awkward seeing as she started laughing the moment she rounded the corner.

 

Finishing her laughing fit, she determinedly set off once more, walking down the hall and moving quietly as to not attract attention. She had only ever met Vastra, Clara, John and Strax, but was unsure if more people worked at the clinic, and would rather not be questioned on what she was doing there. 

 

Finally, as she came to Vastra’s door, she saw that someone was already waiting there. The nurse she had met on her first visit, Strax, or Mr.Potato as Jenny was still referring to him as, was standing in front of Vastra’s office. His face was severely stoic as he stood on guard, posture straight and hands  clasped behind his back. He looked like a perfect tiny soldier waiting to be relieved, and Jenny smiled.

 

“Halt! Tell me who you are and what you are doing here!” As soon as he spotted her, Strax held out a hand in front  of him as a sign for her to stop. 

 

“I am Jenny. I was here with my lizard a while ago. I just want to go into Vastra’s office and leave some things for her there.” She kept smiling, showing Strax the scarf and the flowers in hopes that it would convince him of her innocent and non-threatening intentions.

 

Unfortunately, Strax did not seem to believe her, for he crossed his arms across his chest and shook his head.”I cannot let you in. I am under strict orders not to let anyone into Madame Vastra’s office.” He gave her an angry glare, and she respectfully stepped back a few paces.

 

Sighing, Jenny turned away and began to rummage around in her pockets, hoping that maybe she could find something to appease the angered potato man.Unfortunately, all she found were some lemon and caramel gobstoppers that she kept handy for children involved in crime scenes. Sighing again, she decided it was better than nothing. 

 

Turning back to Strax, who still looked positively furious, she offered him  the candy. “Can you let me in  _ now _ , please?” She asked again rather sweetly, not acknowledging the fact that she was sticking four gobstoppers right under his nose. 

 

The man looked at her suspiciously, before quickly grabbing the gobstoppers and stepping to the side. “Fine.” He relented begrudgingly, though stepping aside with a considerably softer expression on his face.

 

Jenny smiled. “Thank you.”

 

Going inside the office, Jenny quickly scanned around the room - a little more spacious than she remembered it but not less messy - her line of vision falling pon Vastra's desk and she  made her way across the room to it.

 

Once there, she carefully put down the bouquet of flowers and the card belonging to it, as well as the scarf. But before she could let go of the scarf, she acted on instinct and brought it up to her nose instead. Taking a deep breath, she inhaled the reassuring smell of wool and something that she could only define as being distinctly  _ Vastra _ , consisting of salt, coffee, and nature.  It was a mixture of comfort and protection made into an irresistible aroma that resonated perfectly with Vastra’s persona.

 

When she put the scarf back, she was very careful to make sure that both gifts would be visible enough so that Vastra would see them as soon as she entered the room. Afterward, she couldn't help but allow her fingers to glide tentatively along the edge of the elegant, dark wooden desk as if it was a divinely sacred relic. Jenny could almost imagine Vastra sitting on the other side in the large black leather chair, her tall form hunched over as she diligently worked away writing on a document and whatnot. The image of it was so remarkably vivid in front of Jenny’s eyes, that she barely resisted the urge to reach out and touch it.

 

She was almost at the end of the desk, when her fingers came upon a metallic frame. Inside the frame, there was a photo of six young, dark haired girls, a redheaded boy, and an equally dark haired but older man. They were all situated in a vast field, having a picnic and drinking lemonade. Two of the younger girls in the group, perhaps only a few years apart in age, had  lemonade shooting out of their noses, seemingly raining down on top of the older man while the other siblings laughed hysterically.

 

Seeing the photo, Jenny could feel her lips quirking  upwards, a warm feeling spreading throughout her chest. It was such a honest display of family affection, for Vastra to have a photo of them sitting in her office. It showed a sort of bond to her siblings and parents, that Jenny already knew she had, and couldn't  help but feel jealous of it. Just like when she’d heard Vastra talking to her sister on the phone earlier, an intense feeling of envy and unhappiness soon settled heavily upon Jenny’s chest, reminding her that no matter how much she wished for it, she would never have a family like Vastra’s.

 

At home, Jenny had used to have a similar photo of her and her seven siblings, but she had quickly resolved to hide it in the back of the cleaning cupboard, as she found it much too painful to look at. It reminded her of a happier, peaceful time when everything had  been alright and the world wasn't as terribly cruel as when she had to struggle for survival every single day.

 

Things change when you grow older, she supposed.

 

Trying to shake herself loose of the pain and resentment creeping into her heart, and knowing that she should leave as soon as she could, Jenny immediately turned around and went for the door. However, she only came halfway to said door when she found herself stopping for some unknown reason, as if there was an invisible force holding her back. 

 

In her mind, she could see Vastra’s hand gently reaching out to touch her own, a sensation like electricity shooting up her arm and making it tingle. Slowly, she lifted her hand to her chin; She could still remember the feeling of Vastra’s slightly moist lips against her skin, the mere memory of it awakening an untamable sense of pure want and….something  _ more _ , within her.

 

The short little kiss Vastra granted her before leaving yesterday had not been nearly long enough to satisfy the burning desire inside her, and she longed to kiss her back, but on the lips instead of the forehead . A  _ proper _ kiss, admitting everything she felt without saying a word.

 

As she once more started moving towards the door, Jenny briefly considered what would have happened, had Vastra actually been in her office. Would Jenny have the nerves to face Vastra after everything that had happened on Sunday? Would she even have dared going so far as to kiss her, knowing very well that she desperately wanted to? 

 

She didn’t know, and would never know, but with these thoughts - mixed with the lingering recollection of Vastra’s lips against her skin - swirling in her head, she finally left Vastra’s office and walked back out into the corridor.

 

As she came to the reception, she saw that Clara and John were still standing by the desk, whispering hurriedly among themselves. Putting on a victorious grin, Jenny decided to say goodbye.

 

“I am going now. It has been a pleasure meeting you, and please tell Vastra I came by.” Jenny called, keeping up her facade as she waved her hand at the two of them.

 

“Jesus….that girl’s definitely got some serious game,” remarked Clara, sounding genuinely impressed as she watched Jenny go in awe. Then swiftly turning around to face John, she asked him, “Do you think she was being serious though? I mean, we've both seen how Vastra was pining over her like a lost lovesick puppy dog all last week. I just didn't expect her to have the guts to make a move so soon.”

 

“Maybe  _ she  _ didn’t make the move? If Vastra gave her number to her, then maybe  _ Jenny  _ made a move.” John suggested, trying not to blush too much. “You know, it’d be more likely I think.”

 

Clara snorted and playfully punched him on the arm, saying, “I've never seen a grown man who blush as much you do, Johnny Boy!  Anyway, I'm honestly happy that Vastra was able to get laid….” She picked up her phone from where it laid on the desk and began to check her messages, before grumbling irritably, “Meanwhile, I can't even get a guy to respond back to my text!”

 

Once out in the parking lot, Jenny was quick to get into her car. She had already spent more time than she could afford at the clinic, most of it not even having been used for anything useful. It felt like she'd been there for hours, standing in Vastra’s office, pinning and dreaming of impossibly greater things than what Vastra had already given her.

 

As she started backing out of the parking lot, Jenny snapped herself from her thoughts, immediately redirecting her focus to the rear view mirror. At first, the road had seemed empty, but as soon as she actually started to back out into it, she saw a motorcycle driving down the road towards the clinic. It wasn’t that unusual or suspicious, of course, but once Jenny caught sight of the colourful helmet with its crest-like formation on the top, it felt as though all of the air had left her lungs.

 

It was _ Vastra, _ Jenny was sure of it. No one else has such a distinct and absolutely atrocious design on their motorbike helmet. Nobody else would even  _ consider  _ the possibility, nobody but her Vastra.

 

Seeing that Vastra was coming rapidly closer, and realizing that she had just mentally referred to Vastra as  _ hers _ , the sudden panic seizing Jenny seemed to increase tenfold and as soon as she was out in the street, she hit the gas as hard as she could, accidentally turning on the police sirens in the process as she drove away at top speed like a cowardly  chicken.

 

By that time, the light drizzling of the weather had subsequently escalated to an even more heavy downpour of near Biblical proportions. Vastra didn't pay the rain any attention though, bringing her motorcycle to a stop in front of the clinic and removing her helmet to reveal the utterly baffled expression on her face as she witnessed Jenny's police car haphazardly shooting down the street with all sirens blazing. She remained standing there, stunned, for several minutes before the fact that her clothes were getting thoroughly drenched in the rain finally caught up with her, and she angrily cursed at the sky while trying to find her umbrella. After gathering her stuff, Vastra rushed as fast as she could to get into the clinic and out of the wretched rainstorm.

 

Vastra continued to swear under her breath when she entered the clinic, closing her umbrella as her entire body shivered profusely due the chilling wetness that was starting to creep into her skin and hair. Flipping off a stray strand of wet hair from her face, Vastra attempted to wipe away the blinding sheen of precipitation on her glasses in order to glance around the reception room. The ceiling lights flashed rapidly above her, just like they did whenever there was a storm raging outside, and the only person that she could see to be present in the room was Clara, who had lifted both of her feet up on the table as she intently read her Jane Austen novel, completely oblivious to Vastra’s presence. John, however, was nowhere to be found, which was rather odd considering that he and Clara were usually joined at the hip during this hour when they have no customers. Suddenly, Vastra’s hair stood up on the back of her neck, partly due to the cold, but also because she could sense that something was amiss in the clinic, yet she didn't know exactly what it was.

 

“Where's John?” Inquired Vastra gingerly, as she began to approach Clara’s desk.

 

“Mmm, probably hiding in a corner somewhere after I made fun of him for blushing…. _ again _ . You know how he can be,”Clara replied casually without looking up from her book. She eventually opted to study Vastra discreetly from over the top edge of her book, a mischievous smile curling on her lips as she added, “You’re looking  _ wet _ this morning.”

 

Vastra tilted her head slightly to the side, seemingly clueless regarding the underlying meaning of Clara’s words, though that did not prevent her from flicking some water at Clara, causing the brunette to cry out in protest.

 

Vastra had her laugh at Clara’s expense before speaking again in a more serious tone, “Bloody fucking rain….hell, what I wouldn't give for a summer vacation in a remote tropical paradise far away from this sad hunk of rock.”

 

“Yeah, sure, and I bet you would want to see Jenny wearing a bikini too,” mumbled Clara to herself, thinking she wouldn’t be heard by anyone.

 

“Pardon?” Curse Vastra and her absurdly superhuman sense of hearing!

 

Clara used her book as a shield to cover the embarrassment on her face and tried to shrug it off saying, “Nothing! I was just uhh reading my novel….by Jane Austen. Yup, love her work, I also heard that she was quite a phenomenal kisser.”

 

“You said something about  _ Jenny _ ,”Vastra persisted, in spite of Clara’s rambling attempts to dismiss the subject. “Jenny….Jenny Flint, was she here today by any chance?”

 

Something resembling  mild pity quickly flitted across Clara’s face, as the way Vastra spoke Jenny’s name with such profoundly unconditional affection and the excited eagerness that lit up in her eyes, told her that Vastra was too far gone down the rabbit hole at this point.

 

Clara reluctantly closed her book upon her lap, and gave Vastra the most genial smile she could manage as she answered with, “Oh, Jenny? Yeah, she did came in here earlier, now that you’ve mentioned it. She was looking for you, and  _ not _ because she needed her lizard checked out.” Clara’s smile broadened and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from laughing, when she saw the Scottish woman’s face blooming crimson.

 

Vastra absolutely could not believe what she was hearing; Jenny, out of all people, was looking for her, and just the mere thought of it was enough to make her heart race within her chest.

 

Staring at Clara as if she had grown two heads, Vastra shakily asked, “W-Why would Jenny have been looking for me?”

 

“She wanted to show you her gratitude by bringing you a whole bouquet of flowers. Super romantic, in my opinion,” Clara responded truthfully, giggling a little when Vastra shot her a rather unamused look. “Jenny was also kind enough to return your scarf….you know, the one that you  _ left _ at  _ her _ apartment. I am just exceedingly curious as to what you were doing there in the first place.” Clara had to admit that she enjoyed watching Vastra squirm and splutter under her penetrating gaze a bit too much.

 

Vastra, on the other hand, was growing increasingly uncomfortable by the second due to Clara’s thinly veiled interrogation. It was clear that the wonderfully enchanting afternoon Vatra had spent with Jenny at her home has now come back to unexpectedly bite her in the rear. She mentally reprimanded herself for forgetting her scarf at Jenny’s apartment, thus leaving physical evidence of her visit there; If only she hadn’t been so careless, then Jenny wouldn’t have come to the clinic and she would be spared the total embarrassment of never hearing the end of it from her fellow co-workers. A part of Vastra felt slightly guilty for treating Jenny like  she was her dirty little secret, even though the two of them haven’t done anything serious, but she simply could not trust Clara and John to understand that. Regardless of all that, however, Vastra could still feel butterflies fluttering in her stomach and a warm, peaceful sensation washing over her with the knowledge that Jenny had cared enough to personally return her scarf. Yet, she couldn’t decide if she was relieved or disappointed, that she wasn’t there when it happened.

 

Probably both, most likely.

 

“I swear, you and John are equally the worse when it comes to blindly assuming things that aren’t true,” spoke Vastra scornfully, her eyes narrowing into daggers at Clara. Her entire demeanor served as a warning sign to indicate that she was in no such mood to tolerate any sort of tomfoolery from Clara and John. “I was only at Je-- _ Miss Flint’s _ \--residence because she called me to come and tend to her pet lizard. It was, and I  _ highly stress _ , strictly for professional business purposes, nothing more than that. God forbid, that I accidentally left my goddamn  _ scarf _ at her apartment and cause such a big goddamn  _ scandal _ because of it!” Realizing that she was on the verge of losing herself to her fiery temper, Vastra then paused to regain her composure before curtly resuming with, “Hopefully, that is a sufficient enough answer to satisfy your overwhelming curiosity. Now if you’ll please excuse me, Miss Oswald, I have to get ready for work in my office.”

 

Therefor, Vastra wasted no time in sharply turning around on her heels to exit the reception room in a huff, leaving a completely stunned and shaken Clara staring in her wake.

 

It took a while for Clara’s brain to fully register what had just happened. She instantly picked up her novel again while muttering derisively, “If only Jenny really did got her laid...then she would have been able to fuck some better mood into her, at least.

 

Vastra knew that she might have went a little too far snapping at Clara like that, though in her defense it, wasn't Clara's business to be prying into her personal life anyway. No matter what Clara and John want to believe, her relationship with Jenny is purely platonic in every sense of the word, even if they can't accept it. Vastra was absolutely through with playing their silly games, and desired nothing else, but to reach the considerable safety of her office without being confronted by either John, or Strax.

 

“Um, excuse me, Vastra?” Suddenly, Vastra could feel a finger tapping on her shoulder, and as she turned around, she could see John standing behind her.

 

“John, if what you're about to say has anything to do with Miss Flint, I’m going to fucking  _ stab _ you with this umbrella,” growled Vastra as she threateningly pointed the tip of her umbrella at John. One would have to be a completely brainless idiot to think that she was remotely kidding about it.

 

Being scared and blushing just a bit --because of course he couldn't help but blush at the very mention of Jenny -- John put up his hands in front of him in defense. “I wasn’t! Uh...well, maybe I was.” He paused, frowning. “If you don't want us snooping around, then don't have your girlfriends come in here with flowers and personal items! Do you have any  _ idea  _ what she told us about your little  _ meeting  _ on Sunday?”

 

_ “Girlfriend?! _ Ha….I do believe that stupid bow tie of yours is constricting the flow of oxygen to your brain!” Vastra scoffed bitterly in retaliation, her mouth twisted into a sinister snarl.“Or perhaps it's River’s thighs that are squeezing the brains out of your head. You got a lot of nerve to be accusing  _ me _ of mixing business with pleasure,  _ Mr _ .  _ Smith _ !”

 

When push comes to shove, Vastra could be the most ruthlessly heartless person on the entire planet, and she would not hesitate to use every single  one of a person’s weaknesses in order to beat them down into submission.

 

John, definitely taken aback by the mention of his and River’s relationship, blushed even more than ever before, but at the same time it seemed as though there was an inkling of resolve growing inside him now. “In that case,  _ Vastra dear,  _ I suggest you better talk to Jenny! Because when she was here, Miss Flint quite  _ clearly  _ implied that you and her engaged in some….clothless activities, causing you to leave the scarf behind.”

 

‘Clothless activities’ seemed to be the key phrase that  transformed Vastra’s initial fury, into profound perplexity. “She…implied... _ what _ ?!”

 

Though John seemed a little perplexed, too, by Vastra’s reaction, he quickly nodded and continued to speak. “Yes. She said, and I quote, ‘too many layers is not really necessary for a visit like the one she had with me’.” He swallowed, feeling more than slightly awkward to be saying the thing he was about to say to Vastra. “She basically told us the two of you had.... _ sex. _ ”

 

“She and I….had  _ sex? _ ” Vastra’s brows furrowed deeper, struggling to decipher the context behind John’s words, which led her to lash out in denial at first. “ _ No _ . No, it can’t possibly be true….you’re lying!”

 

Vastra’s hand instinctively tightened its iron grip around the handle of her umbrella, an indication that she was severely close to going over the edge in that moment.

 

Suddenly terrified, John hastily held up his hands in surrender. “I’m  _ not _ saying you did anything! I am telling you what  _ she  _ said!” He stepped back two steps, creating a little more distance between him and Vastra. “It is not my fault.”

 

“You bloody lanky, dim-witted, insufferable twat! That’s  _ not _ what I meant!” Shouted Vastra, unable to contain all of her simmering rage and frustration for any longer. However, just as quickly as she had exploded, she also became placated within seconds, before looking at John dead right in the eyes and spoke, “You’re lying, she never said  _ any _ of that, and you know _ why? _ It’s because she….she doesn’t….like me, in _ that _ way.”

 

A bitterly pungent taste filled Vastra’s mouth with each and every word that she uttered, as she bowed her head to stare forlornly at the floor while avoiding John’s gaze. She simply couldn’t bear to look at him anymore, registering everything he said about Jenny as some sort of cruel and mocking joke. She felt as though she was losing her mind, overcome with paranoia, rampant emotions, and suddenly mistrustful of all her friends no matter how well-meaning their intentions; And all because she had the tragic misfortune of falling in love with a girl who she can never have. The heartache that resonated within her chest was one of truly tremendous proportion, only comparable to when her father died of cancer. Needless to say, Vastra’s harshly offensive exterior instantly melted away in that moment, leaving her looking like a small vulnerable child which made John yearn for her with pity.

 

“Look...Vastra...please…” John didn’t know what to say. All those emotions, all that  _ hurt _ , it was more than he’d ever expected from Vastra. In his mind, Vastra was made up almost entirely of witty comments, faux distaste, and not so subtle gayness. Always seemingly angry, but never really meaning it. Those emotions, however, was nothing compared to what he now saw before him, and he struggled to try and piece everything together. Slowly, he stepped forward, reaching out and carefully placing his hand on Vastra’s arm. “I was teasing before, but she  _ really _ did say those things. That you spent the night together and all that. And whether it was true or not, she came here with not only your scarf, but thank you flowers, going out of her way to drop them off before work.” 

 

“Flowers?” Vastra’s head snapped up when he mentioned the flowers, something resembling hopefulness glimmering in her eyes before she shook her head indignantly. “No...No, that can’t possibly mean anything other than an innocent gesture of gratitude. Jenny is the type of girl who would do that simply because she’s sweet, and kind, and thoughtful.”There was a momentary pause as the corner of Vastra’s mouth twitched slightly to form a small, adoring smile at her mental description of Jenny. “I understand that you’re just trying to help me, John, but you’re reading too much into this.”

 

Vastra did have valid reasons to believe this, since she knew John well enough as the romantic idealist that he was, always choosing to see the best in everything even in the darkest of times. Vastra herself was a staunch realist, with an adequate amount of pessimism to boot, and would often serve as the counterbalance to John’s lofty idealistic ideology. Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the two of them would be on completely different sides of this current situation.

 

Vastra wanted nothing more than to drop the matter altogether and get started on her work, but the firmly gentle hold that John had on her arm indicated that he wasn’t going to let this go anytime soon.

“Vastra,  _ please _ listen…” Intentionally, John made sure his voice was soft and honest, hoping it would finally convince Vastra to trust him with what he was saying. It was not as though he found it surprising that Vastra did not trust his word, she very rarely did, but this time he really wanted her to know that what he said he meant, and it was completely honest. “Because as much as I love teasing you about this sort of thing, I care about you and your happiness. You got something really good going with this Jenny girl, and I don’t want you to lose it all because you can't bring yourself to realise that you got a value to others, especially to people who love you.” Holding on tightly to Vastra’s arm, John looked her deep in the eyes, trying in every possible way convey his message.

 

Piece by piece, Vastra could feel the defensive walls of cynicism that she have built around herself being torn down at the sight of John’s  pleading brown eyes, which were a lot less endearing than Jenny’s, but still full of true honest to God earnesty and tenderness. 

 

Briefly closing her eyes and sucking in a shallow breath, Vastra simply whispered, “ _ How _ .. _. _ How do you know that this-- _ me _ \--is what Jenny would want, too?”

 

“Because   _ everyone  _ wants you for who you are. You just don’t see it, though I can’t understand how. You’re great at your job, a better friend than anyone deserves and I swear to god you would make the best partner if you’d just let someone date you!” He smiled fondly, hoping internally that Vastra wasn’t going to hold this over his head next time he tried to tease her about something - and that she wouldn't text River.  _ She  _ would never let him live down what he just told Vastra.”You are an amazing, inspirational, attractive woman and those who don't like you can go to hell because they are  _ wrong _ .”

 

At last, that was all the reassurance that Vastra needed to hear as her crystal blue eyes became glazed with unshed tears. Then in a very uncharacteristic move, Vastra suddenly dropped her umbrella to the floor and stepped forward to pull John into a tightly heartfelt hug; John was surprised by that at first, but eventually regained his composure and returned the embrace nonetheless, seemingly pleased that his words were able to  get through to Vastra’s heart. John Smith has been Vastra’s closest friend ever since they attended veterinary school together, and was the one who had helped her to establish a career down here in London, so far away from her home and family. They’ve been mainly inseparable throughout the past five years that they’ve been together, and he was the only person that Vastra would always turn to with her problems because there was nobody else that she trusted more than him. A sensation of guilt now washed over Vastra, for she knew deep down inside her, that never in a billion years would John ever lie to her, or lead her astray. It meant everything to her that despite all the childish teasing and bickering, John was genuinely supportive of her budding romance with Jenny, even if she still wasn’t 100% confident that it could happen.

 

After several peaceful minutes of hugging in the hallway, Vastra finally pulled away, and was about to say something to John when another familiar voice broke the silence.

 

“John, you’re needed here up front asap! Mrs. Wellington just brought in her cat who is about to give birth!” Clara called loudly from the reception room.

 

Eyes widening in panic, John only allowed himself time to give Vastra sheepish grin and winked, before running off, already telling Clara to prepare a room and bring out warm towels for them to wrap the kittens in. 

 

Vastra, however, stood there for a while longer, not paying mind to the fact that she was still dripping wet and freezing from the rain as John’s word’s of wisdom continued to ring within her ears. Eventually, she remembered that she should probably get ready for work and bent down to pick up her umbrella, before walking towards her office again. Although she was momentarily surprised to see Strax huddled in a corner as he happily ate the candy that Jenny had given him, Vastra was able to reach into her coat pocket and take out a key which she used to unlock her office door.

 

Once she opened the door and stepped into her office, she couldn’t help but involuntarily release a soft gasp as all the hair on her neck and arms instantly stood up as if detecting a peculiar, yet strangely pleasant change in the atmosphere. The particles in the air felt different somehow, and there seemed to be an invisible yet still noticeably present thrumming of electricity spread throughout the room. It was in that moment that Vastra was hit full on with the revelation that Jenny Flint, her fucking crush, had been inside that very same room not long ago and just the mere thought of it was making her head spin like crazy. A million ‘what if’ scenarios were rapidly springing out of her mind; What would have happened if Vastra was here when Jenny came in? Would she have been able to keep her cool around Jenny? Would  her heart get stuck in her throat like it always does? Would she have been sweating buckets due to Jenny’s super hot presence? Would she have been blinded by Jenny’s stunningly radiant beauty? Would she have made a complete fool of herself in front of Jenny? Would she have broken broken down and frantically confess her feelings for Jenny? Would she even have the courage to actually  _ kiss  _ Jenny?

 

Perhaps kissing Jenny is the only way that she could gain closure, with the chances of Jenny kissing her back,since she is  _ definitely _ gay, being far outnumbered by the possibility of rejection.

 

For better or worse, Vastra desperately wanted answers in regards to what John had told her earlier, about Jenny liking her as more than a veterinarian who took care of her pet lizard. Unwilling to wait any longer, Vastra then unceremoniously dropped all her stuff onto the floor and quickly walked over to her wooden desk, where she caught of sight of the flowers and scarf that Jenny had left. Now standing in front of her desk, Vastra tentatively picked up her faded wool plaid scarf, one of the few mementos that she possessed that is connected to her mother and family. She would have been most deeply hurt if she ever lost her scarf, because it’s simply too important to her, and this alone caused tears to well up in her eyes as she was tremendously grateful towards Jenny for returning it to her. Vastra’s attention soon fell upon the bouquet of flowers that Jenny had placed alongside the scarf, which she then put aside in order to examine them more closely. The bouquet was larger than anything she had expected to find, with an impressively diverse arrangement that included violets, white lilies, red roses, ambrosia, pink camellia, pink carnations, gardenia, and tulips;They were all neatly wrapped in purple paper and tied together with a shiny green satin ribbon. Vastra couldn’t remember the last time that anyone had brought her such a wonderfully thoughtful gift, and she could feel herself falling harder for Jenny if that was even possible. She reached out to gently run her fingers across the vastly colorful collection of flowers and her heart literally skipped a beat when she touched upon something hidden within them. Brows furrowing in slight perplexity, Vastra noticed that it was actually a little card and immediately removed it from the bouquet. 

 

Vastra could only stare nervously at the card in her hands, until her curiosity got the better of her, and she finally opened it to reveal the content written inside.

 

_ Dear Vastra  _

 

_ You forgot your scarf at my apartment this past Sunday. Since I do not know where you live yet, I brought it to your workplace along with some flowers as a ‘thank you’. I had the greatest time spending my free morning with you and I wish it could have lasted longer - though the short time we spent together still felt like an eternity to me. I very much hope we can see each other again sometime soon on another day. If you could call me or text me whenever it's convenient for you, we can surely decide something together, and have a marvelous time once more. _

 

_ Yours sincerely, Jenny Flint xo _

  
  


After reading the card’s entire message, Vastra felt both of her legs threatening to buckle from underneath her and had to grip firmly onto the edge of the desk with her hands in order to keep herself standing upright.

As short as Jenny’s letter may have been, it was nonetheless successful in striking a truly powerful impact upon Vastra. Completely shocked by what she just read, Vastra then proceeded to fastidiously re-read the card about a dozen more times to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating or something. 

Once her initial confusion had passed, Vastra’s free hand instantly flew to cover her mouth as her bottom lip began to quiver and fresh tears sprung into her eyes, an overwhelming surge of emotions resonating throughout her entire body and soul. Her hand that was holding the card trembled uncontrollably and she found it increasingly difficult to breath, knowing from Jenny’s writing that she had seemingly enjoyed their Sunday meeting as much as Vastra had herself. Additionally, the fact that Jenny genuinely wanted to see her again outside the clinic was the final blow that demolished every single last pillar of doubt that still stood in Vastra’s mind regarding her romantic feelings being reciprocated by Jenny. 

 

The heavy lead of woesome despair was lifted from her long-suffering heart, which immediately became filled to the brim with new hope and optimism. John might be right about Vastra and Jenny being on the very verge of something utterly spectacular together, and she was now eager to explore that possibility. Yet at the same time, all of this appeared much too good to be true, and she was afraid that she would wake up any second to find that it had only been a dream; It’s not everyday that the girl you like-- _ love _ \--brings you flowers and write a note essentially asking you out on a date so that they can get to know you better. Ever since they first met here at clinic when Jenny came in with Greeny the lizard, Vastra couldn’t stop fantasizing about what it would be like in a relationship with Jenny as her girlfriend, to love and hold her for the rest of their lives. 

She felt weak, pathetic, and delusional for allowing herself to be seduced by Jenny’s sweet charms and majestic beauty, when she knew very well it could put everything into jeopardy. Vastra really believed that she was trapped to spend the remainder of her life being relentlessly tortured by the memory of Jenny, who she could never have no matter how much she longed for her. Walking into the clinic today, listening to John’s passionately inspirational speech, finding the flowers and reading the personal card message from Jenny, completely changed all of that for Vastra so that she could finally see the light shining through the storm raging within her head.

 

Realizing that she could not afford to waste anymore time, Vastra took the final leap of faith and quickly pulled out her phone to dial Jenny’s number.

 

Hearing her phone ringing, Jenny quickly pulled it out of her pocket, and was just about to answer, when she caught sight of the caller ID :  _ Vastra _ . It was as though everything in her head just came to a sudden, absolute stop. She couldn’t think or do anything as she just stared at the caller ID. Finally, her brain rebooted and she realised she had been waiting far too long to answer. So, with a final gulp, she pressed the answer button and put the phone to her ear.

 

“Jenny speaking. How are you, Vastra?” 

 

Hearing Jenny’s voice intensified the rapid beating of Vastra’s heart, but also strengthened her resolve to finish what she started. 

 

“Hello there, Jenny,” Vastra began carefully, mentally building up the courage to ask Jenny the important question at the tip of her tongue. “I’m good, thank you, and I really appreciate you returning my scarf. The flowers are lovely and….I would love to talk with you again over coffee. There’s a nice little cafe I know nearby the clinic, if you want to go.” 

 

Hearing Vastra’s voice, Jenny couldn’t help but smile, enjoying the sound of it immensely. “Oh, that sounds lovely. I would love to. When were you thinking?”

 

It required every ounce of self control Vastra possessed in order to prevent herself from physically jumping into the air with joy at Jenny’s answer. “Whenever works best for you, my dear.”

 

Pondering Vastra’s suggestion, she looked at the clock, calculating how much longer she had to stay at work. “I get off at four. See you half-past at the clinic?” 

 

Vastra smiled with the knowledge that nothing will ever be the same after this, and replied, “Perfect, I’ll be looking forward to it.”

 

Finally, after all this time of uncertainty and confusion, the stars are now aligning in their favor to determine the course of their future destiny.

 

The End

  
  



End file.
